Sometime Down The Road
by Shadow Star.EXE
Summary: Pokemon edition of the 100 themes challenge. A collection of 55 drabbles and oneshots of PokemonxPokemon, Gameverse and PokeSpe couples. Rated T for some themes and swearing. Final themes: Hold my Hand and Relaxation -both RedxYellow, SpecialShipping-
1. Kick in the Head: DarkraixAzelf

**Star's 100 Theme Challenge Pokemon Edition: Sometime Down the Road**

**Welcome to the Pokemon edition of the 100 themes challenge, first issued on DeviantArt about a year ago. I first started this idea with only wanting to do Super Smash Bros themes, but since my attention span wanders more than a Banette at night, I decided to divide the themes up into four different fandoms. This edition was born on August 14, 2009.**

**As of June 21, 2010, I've started to go back and edit the themes a bit, due to fanfiction being an ass and disabling my personal section divider, thus making everything looked badly mushed together.**

**This edition has seen the most changes. First it went from being only legendary pokemon pairings to including couples from the games and manga. Then it went from only having 25 themes to suddenly having 35. Next it needed a better name, because I thought the original one was too boring. I am extremely proud of how well these themes came out and I enjoyed writing all of them. This edition is my favourite one out of the four.**

**I hope you enjoy reading these themes as I enjoyed writing them. There are a LOT of never written couples and plenty of legendary shippings here. There's also a special gijinka story spanning three whole themes that I consider the best of this collection. Please read and be sure to drop a review, as I love knowing what my readers think! :)**

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**Theme: **58. Kick in the Head  
**Pairing: **DarkraixAzelf  
**Summary: **_"Even the giver of nightmares need to be given a good kick in the head, you idiot."  
_**Rating: **K Plus for Darkrai's foul mouth

* * *

"She loves you."

Darkrai looked at Cresselia in annoyance. "You're a liar and you're being annoying right now. She does not love me."

Cresselia smiled. "Oh, I can be annoying, but I'm telling the truth this time. Arceus's firstborn daughter loves you. Her brother is the emotion pokemon and he told me so. He KNOWS she loves you, even without his powers. It's so obvious, Darkrai. How can you NOT see it?"

Darkrai snarled. "Because...she's...come on, Cresselia, she's ARCEUS'S daughter. ARCEUS. The God of all pokemon! She's practically on top of the world with her siblings and her father. Why, in the name of the new moon, would she love ME?"

"Beats me," Cresselia shrugged. "You're argumentative, annoying, stubborn, dark, angsty, emo..." She laughed as Darkrai snarled at her again, flexing his claws. "Oh come on, Darkrai! You do have to admit you have these bad qualities! Honestly, I don't know why Azelf loves you, but she does and it's obvious and what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

Cresselia stared at Darkrai, searching for any signs of him joking. When she saw he was serious, she groaned in frustration. "You're an idiot."

"That makes two of us."

"No, I mean you're seriously an idiot. I should kick you in the head and reverse whatever brain damage you got."

"The only brain damage I get is from hanging around you," Darkrai snapped. "Azelf does not love me. And I do not need any kicking to know this. If she did hold feelings toward me, not only would she be damned, she would dream about it. And I've seen nothing in her nightmares that demonstrates this!" he added.

"Even the giver of nightmares needs a good kick in the head, you idiot," Cresselia retorted. "If you're so sure she doesn't love you, then go into her dreams tonight. Give her a nightmare concerning you. Then we'll see what happens tomorrow."

"Fine. If it will get you to shut up," Darkrai groaned. He didn't really want to give the little pixie goddess of willpower a nightmare, but Cresselia wouldn't leave him alone if he didn't. Hopefully Arceus wouldn't find out.

* * *

When night had fallen, Darkrai traveled to Lake Valor through the shadows. He stopped at the entrance to Valor Cave, which had surfaced after Team Galactic's attack. Azelf managed to spread rumors that she no longer lived there by using Double Team illusions in the grass near Giratina's home and further away. A risky move, but since Azelf did what she wanted, Darkrai had to credit her.

It was hard to reason with a little pixie who had a strong will.

Then Darkrai realized something. _"If Cresselia thinks I'M stubborn, she should look again at Azelf!"_

But there was no time to deal with him and his sister's petty arguments. The nightmare pokemon glanced into the cave and saw the willpower pokemon fast asleep. Darkrai's ice blue eyes began glowing until he found himself directly in Azelf's dreams. Not wasting any time, he began to work his dark powers until the bright colours of her dreams began to turn dark and evil looking. He placed a vision of himself directly in this nightmare and pulled himself out almost immediately.

When he was back in his body, Darkrai took one last look at Azelf. She was no longer sleeping peacefully. Instead, she was twitching, moaning with discontent and shivering.

"D-Dark...Dark...Dark..."

_"Of course. She's a psychic pokemon, so she would be afraid of the dark,"_ Darkrai thought. Satisfied his job was done, he turned and left Valor Cave.

He never heard Azelf finish her sleep talking. "Darkrai...don't leave me..."

* * *

The next day, all the legendary pokemon had their usual gathering at the Hall of Origin. Darkrai noticed Cresselia was searching the heads of the pokemon gathered. He didn't need to be a knowledgeable pokemon like Uxie to know she was looking for Azelf.

"Azelf! Goodness, child, what are you crying about?" Arceus bellowed.

Darkrai felt his insides run cold and Cresselia quickly looked in Arceus's direction. Sure enough, Azelf looked utterly upset about something.

"I-I just had a bad dream last night, Father...nothing serious. It just scared me a bit."

Arceus looked at Darkrai with a murderous glint. Everyone knew Darkrai was the giver of bad dreams and nightmares. Using the first term didn't change the guilt.

"What was the bad dream about?" Mesprit asked his sister softly.

Azelf turned pink and shook her head quickly. "Um...n-nothing. Just someone important to me leaving me...forever. Like I said, nothing terrible." Mesprit also looked at Darkrai, but with a questioning look rather than anger. Darkrai quickly looked down at his claws.

Cresselia floated up beside him and nudged him. "See?" she whispered. "If she didn't love you, she wouldn't be acting so upset."

For once, Darkrai couldn't answer. He truly felt like he had been delivered a solid kick in the head.

_"I'm sorry, Azelf."_

* * *

**Next theme: Creation**

**Pairing: ArceusxGiratina (GodModeShipping)**


	2. Creation: ArceusxGiratina

**Theme: **47. Creation  
**Pairing: **ArceusxGiratina  
**Others: **Hint of Fatherly!Arceus  
**Summary: **_Ever since their time of creation, she had been beside him. Even when she wanted to destroy what he had created.  
_**Rating: **K

* * *

Giratina was a confusing soul.

Arceus had come upon this conclusion when they had met each other in the reaches of nothingness. She seemed perfectly content that there was nothing, but he had wanted to take from this nothing and make something.

Hence his creation if the two beings who set forward the motion of time and created the nothingness into space. Dialga and Palkia had done their job in a very good way. Giratina had almost destroyed them, but Arceus was much stronger than her. She never succeeded.

But Arceus was still not satisfied. From his powers, he created an egg. From this egg hatched three tiny beings who brought new meaning forward. They brought knowledge, emotions and willpower, which gave him the ingredients he needed to create...

_life._

Giratina was displeased. She cursed Arceus's newest creations, sub-beings he had named 'humans'. "None of them shall live forever," she had roared. "Every single human shall meet their end of life and when they do...they will see me as the new god."

Arceus was angered. He vowed to protect the three pixies named Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf with his very life so she would not touch them.

But how to ensure Giratina would not destroy all humans? Arceus then has Mesprit's help and he had created _love. _An emotion so powerful and unshakable, it would bring two humans together...and they would create even more humans. Mesprit, along with his two sisters, helped to spread this around, making humans learn about it with knowledge and gave them the willpower to try it out. Arceus was delighted when the humans had learned and accepted it and was even happier when they had began to create their own children. The kinship the parents felt for the child...it was a different love from what the pixies had taught, but the more he watched it, the stronger the feeling grew inside of him for the three pixies. They _were _his children, absolutely and indefinitely precious to him. When the pixies began addressing him as "Father", "Dad" or "Daddy", he smiled.

Oh yes, he loved his children. He had learned one of two kinds of love.

But the kind of love he had created was not actually something he had learned. But for some strange reason, when Giratina had departed for Turnback Cave, he felt a certain emptiness in his heart. He had tried to create more things, resulting in more and more pokemon. But nothing could fill the void. He spent time with his children, but not even that could fill in the emptiness he held.

Finally, he realized what it was: because Giratina was gone, he was missing her. In both senses. She had always remained by his side, watching him and acting as if she were a thorn in his side. But Arceus wanted her back.

Even though she had become the goddess of the dead and was suppose to be his opposite, she made him feel complete.

Hence why she was so confusing.

Arceus didn't mind. Sure she kept threatening to destroy his creations, but she never went through with it. As time went on, he grew to enjoy her antics.

Maybe he was falling in love with her too.

* * *

**Next Theme:****Advertisement**

**Pairing: MewxCelebi (_51Shipping)**

**EVERYBODY POLKAMON!**


	3. Advertisement: MewxCelebi

**Theme: **95. Advertisement  
**Pairing: **MewxCelebi  
**Summary: **_"Humans have to advertise for love? Maybe love is really that hard to find after all."  
_**Rating: **K

* * *

"Look, Mew! Another one!"

"Canadian bacon, hm? What's the difference between Canadian bacon and American bacon?"

"Canadian bacon comes from Canadian Grumpigs and American bacon comes from American Grumpigs! Duh!"

"Oh you're funny, Celebi...hey, this one is for make up. What do girls see in it anyway?"

"What do I know? I'm not a human!"

"Oh yeah...hey another one! Ooh, sweet! Dissidia, Final Fantasy style!"

"Looks pretty cool...but since when did humans have silver hair and a wing?"

"That guy isn't human, Celebi."

"But he LOOKS human!"

"Well, he's not. Humans don't have wings. Pokemon do. See?"

"Ow, leggo my wing!"

"Sorry..."

"Hey look, another commercial. eHarmony? Post your profile and find out who's looking for you? They advertise love?"

"Humans have to advertise for love? Maybe love is really that hard to find after all."

"Not really..."

"Huh? What did you-?"

"Teehee! Sometimes it's just right next to you!"

"C-Celebi...you just...kissed me..."

"Mhmm. Hey look, another one! Why is a cardboard cutout holding food?"

* * *

**The Canadian/American joke comes from an MSN convo myself and two of my guy pals were having. Somehow we got to talking about Canadian bacon and how it's different from American bacon. I said, "You don't know? Canadian bacon comes from Canadian pigs and American bacon comes from American pigs! DUH!" I thought it would be funny to use here.**

**Celebi and Mew are watching TV when they are speaking here. How do legends watch TV? I dunno, maybe the Hall of Origin has a 32" screen and sattelite set up by Zapdos. (Another inside joke.) And yes, Celebi is talking about Sephiroth.**

**Also, I have nothing against dating sites. Just want to put that out there.**

**Next Theme: Tower**

**Pairing: RayquazaxLatias (DracoShipping)**


	4. Tower: RayquazaxLatias

**Theme: **54. Tower  
**Pairing: **RayquazaxLatias  
**Summary: **_Sky Pillar never posed any threat to her...she'd climb it anyway, just to see him.  
_**Rating: **K

* * *

On time. As always.

Rayquaza was amused. For some reason, Latias found it absolutely important to climb the harsh reaches of Sky Pillar - the tallest tower in Hoenn - just to come visit him. Sometimes it was to bring him food, sometimes it was because Latios had left her alone and she wanted to talk to someone and other times it was for no reason whatsoever. Every time he asked her about it, she just smiled at him.

Today she held a small satchel of berries in her small claws. Rayquaza sniffed the air for their scents (being the king of the sky, he was very adept with his nose and he could identify anything by its scent) and he picked up the scents of Razz Berries, Figy Berries (his favourite), Iapapa Berries (her favourite), Bulk Berries and...

"Salac Berries, Latias?" Rayquaza asked in surprise. Those berries were very rare and hard to find. Rayquaza himself had sought them out a lot of times because they were said to contain the power of the sky.

"Uh huh. I was hoping to surprise you, Ray."

There's that nickname again.

"I know how much you wanted to taste them...so I disguised myself as a human and asked about them. I was told that there were some in the Orre Region, so I flew over there and got a few," Latias continued.

"You did what?" Rayquaza's eyes widened. She risked revealing herself to humans and went through all that trouble just so he could taste one berry? "Why would you go through all that trouble for me?"

Latias just smiled and opened the satchel up. She took some berries out and handed some of them to Rayquaza. The sky king growled in frustration. For weeks now, he had been trying to get an answer out of her, but she never spoke. Whatever her reason was, she couldn't share it with him? Was he really that untrustworthy?

The berries could wait. Rayquaza grabbed the satchel from the young Eon pokemon and held it out of her reach.

"Rayquaza!" Latias yelped out of surprise. "What was that for?"

"You aren't answering me, Latias," Rayquaza stated bluntly. "Everyday now, it seems you'll climb Sky Pillar to do nothing more than sit with me or feed berries to me. Now you've just told me that you went to speak with humans and flew to a foreign region to get berries for no reason, other than you knew I wanted to taste them? No more games, Latias," Rayquaza thundered.

Latias's eyes welled up with tears and Rayquaza's glare softened. Maybe he was a little too harsh, but if something had happened to her, Latios would make his life a living hell.

"B-B-Because...I do it because I like you..."

"I know you do. I like you too, or I would have thrown you out of here the first time you came up this tower," Rayquaza retorted. "But you put your life and your freedom on the line for me, and I just can't accept that."

"You're stubborn..."

"Says the little Eon girl who risked revealing herself to humans for berries."

"Ray, your yelling is scaring me..."

"It can't be any scarier than a life with humans. Do you realize what would have happened if you were caught and captured? You'd be forced to work for humans in battles. You'd never see Latios or any of your other friends again. You wouldn't have any freedom AT ALL."

Latias's lower lip trembled. "I thought you would like the berries. I thought you'd be happy. I thought you'd like me even more. You hate me now, don't you Rayquaza?"

That caught him off guard. What happened to Ray? She lost her cheery tone now and wasn't even looking at him or the satchel anymore. But Latias was right; Rayquaza the King of the Skies was, indeed, very stubborn.

"I'm WORRIED about you, Latias. Can you get that in your head? If you got captured by humans, you would be forced into a whole new life. You would never go home or come here ever again!"

Latias blinked, a tear running down her face. She then whispered a small question.

_"...would you care?"_

That single question made Rayquaza's green face change a shade. Why was she teasing him? Of course he would care! She's a fellow legendary pokemon and someone important to the world. She was also valuable to Latios, since she was his little sister. And Latios was a friend to him.

"I bet you're probably thinking that you'd care because I'm part of the Legendary council and because I have a brother. Would you care if I wasn't and I didn't?"

"Did you just read my mind?" Rayquaza blurted out. He forgot she was a psychic pokemon and used her mind very powerfully. But Latias shook her head.

"I could see what you were thinking in your eyes. You only care because of who I am to Latios and the council. You don't care about me at all." She suddenly snapped her head in Rayquaza's direction with her eyes glowing. Rayquaza flinched, but it wasn't an attack. The satchel came floating out of his claws and back into Latias's own tiny ones. The little Eon pokemon floated out of the door and away from the tower.

It would be weeks before he'd see her again.

* * *

**This theme's done, but this little story of Rayquaza and Latias is not. I plan on making it revolve around three themes. Catch 'em all later. (Wahaha, Pokemon pun. **_**(SHOT)**_**)**

**Up Next:**_** I Can't**_

**Pairing:**_** EnteixHeatran (First in the special Gijinka pokemon story)**_


	5. I Can't: EnteixHeatran

**Theme: **73. I Can't  
**Pairing: **EnteixHeatran  
**Summary: **_"I can't be married by arrangement..."  
_**Rating: **K

**A/N: **This is the first part of the Gijinka pokemon story that centers around Heatran and Entei. At first, it started as something I was going to finish quickly, but as I kept writing it, I also kept building on it. This type of world amazed me and it also gave me the idea for my oneshot titled _The Demon and the Harlot. _It's fantastic and quite possibly the best story this collection has to offer.

Many of my own pokemon star in the three themes, such as my shiny Gallade and Dusknoir in this chapter (as well as a mention of a Ninjask), my Umbreon in chapter ten and my Pikachus and Pichu in chapter twenty. They like to pop up. :D

This story spans over three separate chapters: this chapter (I Can't), chapter ten (All that I have) and chapter twenty (Happiness). Enjoy!

* * *

_"Oh oh oh ohhhhh!"_

"Wonderful, Heatran. Keep going."

_"Who tied my hand to the_...oh wait..."

Gallade shook his head. "That's the male accompaniment, Heatran. You only need to focus on the siren parts and the beginning words."

"S-sorry..." Heatran stammered, pushing her red hair back.

"Let's try another song." Gallade picked up some more sheet music and shifted through it. He settled on a different song and began to play the piano again. The notes danced around Heatran's ears...the music she knew and loved so much.

"In sleep, he sang to me...in dreams, he came..."

For the next hour, Heatran sang her heart out to everything her mentor played. She sang beautifully, like a siren. Gallade knew it too. But no matter how hard and how much he worked with her, she refused to accept her own talent. The blue haired man sighed as he watched his student gather her sheets. Heatran had had these self image problems ever since she was a child and Gallade knew this better than anyone, except for his wife. Fifteen years ago, while he was training near a volcano to hone his swordsmanship, he had found the small child standing too close to a lava pit. He brought her home and raised her as a daughter with his wife, who was unable to bare children. She had grown to be a sweet child and than into a quiet teenager. Heatran was Gallade and Dusknoir's joy and relief in life.

_"If only she knew how beautiful she really was..." _Gallade thought. Heatran's sixteenth birthday had just passed and she was of the age to start being courted. Gallade knew her painful shyness, stuttering and self doubt would turn away any good husband for her and the only ones willing would be men who would just take advantage of her. He would rather cut his own arms off than see that happen.

"Gallade? I-it's time to go h-home..."

"I'm coming, Heatran," Gallade replied. By a stroke of luck, his wife had discovered Heatran's hidden talent and she urged him to make her talent blossom.

_"It might give her more confidence if she learns she has a beautiful voice. And perhaps a good man will look past her flaws and make her feel beautiful."_

Gallade's pink eyes glanced at Heatran, who was mouthing out words to Music of the Night. She was so focused on her soundless singing, she didn't see a hurrying man rush past until they collided.

"I'm s-so sorry! Please forgive my c-clumsiness! Are you o-okay?" Heatran's voice trembled.

"I'm late! Young lady, you have just made me later!" the man snapped. He got up quickly and ran off again, leaving Heatran in a heap in the middle of the road. Gallade saw her lower lip tremble and knew she was going to cry. He sighed and darted through the people to help her up.

"I'm s-so clumsy! I-it's no wonder th-that I'm so ugly and useless!" Heatran whimpered.

_"Dusty, my love, I hope you're right..." _Gallade thought warily. This wasn't the first time this had happened and he suspected it wasn't the last.

* * *

Much further away, up in the castle overlooking the whole town, a very bored brown haired youth sat and watched his sisters talk about their upcoming birthday. A once in a lifetime event indeed...since the laws dictate that a seventeenth birthday is a turning point in a lord or lady's life. At the birthday ball, the lord or lady - in this case, the youth and his sisters - were to select a mate.

Entei, the lord in question, had no interest in marriage. He had no desire to be a lord or take his father's place. But he was the oldest of three and the only male born in the family. Duty dictated he married and took his father's role in life. Duty dictated his days that were constantly spent in meetings with nobles instead of feeling the wind caress his long hair.

Duty dictated his life.

Entei's sisters, Suicune and Raikou, didn't think so. They both loved the attention they got as the daughters of Lord Deoxys and Lady Lugia. This was the perfect life and neither of them could hardly wait to get married and start a new chapter in their lives.

Suicune exclaimed how excited she was to soon meet Mesprit, the eldest son of the lord in Sinnoh. They had been exchanging letters for a long time, but she never actually met him. Beautiful Suicune was convinced that he was her destiny, though, and nothing would change that.

Raikou was sure to be in the arms of her longtime childhood friend, Zapdos, the second child born to Lord Mew and Lady Celebi. They resided in Kanto, the neighbouring region, so the three in Johto were well acquainted with the three in Kanto. Energetic Raikou was already in love with her childhood friend and felt he loved her too.

Entei wasn't particularly close to any of his fellow nobles. He got along well enough with Moltres, the youngest of Kanto's three and, because of this, his father had expected him to grow close to Articuno and wed her, but that hope was shattered when Articuno eloped with a young man of a dragon clan. Entei was secretly relieved. He and Articuno were not a good match; they were as different as fire and ice.

_"We ARE fire and ice," _Entei told himself. Entei was known as the Lion of Fire and Articuno was the Wings of Ice. He never truly enjoyed her company.

The long haired lord weighed every daughter of Lords and Ladies of the other regions in his mind. Articuno was already married. Hoenn's own Lady Regice, Lady Registeel and Lord Regirock would be attending as well. They were called the titains of rock, ice and steel for their joint ownership of a rocky mine that produced much precious metals and was worked in all year long - even in the cold. No chemistry at all between him and those two ladies...Regice was a very childish soul and Registeel preferred the humble darkness. There were also the Sinnoh sisters, Uxie and Azelf. However, Uxie was already corresponding with Lord Regirock and Azelf had eloped with a dark sorcerer, much to the disgust of everyone. His options were limited...too limited.

Entei envied Articuno and Azelf. As women, they were not expected to take over and look after their respective regions. Zapdos and Mesprit would do that for their family. But if those two married, it would be for love. If Entei did not select a bride on his birthday night, his parents would chose one for him.

_"I can't be married by arrangement...never ever."_

But how would he escape this? His birthday was in two days and he was no closer to finding the right woman than he was when he went into his teen years. Perhaps he could choose someone who was not a noble and change the laws when he was crowned the new noble of Johto.

It was much more appealing than marrying someone he had no compatibility with. Especially ladies of ice and steel.

His sisters stopped talking and looked up suddenly as a messanger ran into the room, waving a piece of paper. "My lords and ladies, we have a problem!"

* * *

"Welcome home, my love. Hello, sweetie," Dusty greeted her husband and adopted daughter while wiping her hands. "Supper tonight is Tamato stew with green poffin bread. How was your lessons?"

"G-Good, Dusknoir..." Heatran replied shyly. Even though the couple considered Heatran their daughter, she never called them Mother and Father for some reason. "B-But I still c-can't sing Siren very w-well..."

"That's not true..." Gallade ran his fingers through Heatran's hair and kissed his wife. "You sing it very well. You're just having trouble remembering which lines are yours. If I had a male student that could sing with you, I'm sure it would be much easier for you to memorize your lines."

Heatran flushed red and Dusty glared at her husband with an intense look. They had tried bringing this subject up before and even had given the suggestion a shot with a young man named Nianjisk, but he was irritable and impatient. He didn't last one lesson and left in a huff after Heatran had made two mistakes in her singing. Since then, she's shied away from singing duets with others.

"Ignore your father, Heatran. Could you help Mother with dinner? I need to speak to your father about something."

"S-Sure, Dusknoir..." Heatran hurried to the kitchen, eager to be away. Dusty was a nice woman, but she was truly scary when she was angry. The large woman gave a small smile at Heatran's disappearing figure and took her husband's hand, leading him into another room. Gallade realized this was her private office, a place he was not allowed into, unless invited. Dusty was a dark oracle, a witch who could communicate to spirits and predict upcoming events or disasters. She worked for the castle of Lady Lugia and Lord Deoxys, using her powers for the benefit of the region. She once had told Gallade her powers had led her to him, but Gallade wondered if it was just mere coincidence that they both had met at their place of work. He was a soldier for the castle and upheld the peace in the citizenry, but he was also qualified to be called away to war if it ever happened.

They had met by fate. And fallen in love by chance.

Dusty sat at her chair and motioned for Gallade to sit in the spare one. She lit a few candles and uncovered her magic tools, than faced Gallade again. She was not glaring anymore but she was not smiling either and Gallade knew she had seen something troubling.

"Dusty, I'm sorry...I know bringing up the male student thing was a bad idea, but it just slipped ou-"

"I'm not worried about that, Gallade. As much as I'd like to be angry with you for bringing that up, there's something more pressing to worry about right now," Dusty interrupted. Without waiting for another word, the dark oracle swirled her hands around the crystal ball she always used and began to chant an incantation in a language Gallade did not know. Nothing happened at first, but than the ball began to glow and swirl with a black smoke deep inside. The smoke got bigger and bigger until the crystal ball appeared to be overflowing with it. Dusty stopped chanting and looked up at Gallade again. "Lady Lugia asked me to do a reading of her children's birthday ball. You know it happens in only two days, right?"

"Of course," Gallade replied. He wondered where she was going with this. It didn't concern either of them; he worked in the town and she did her work privately. And Heatran was a complete unknown to the castle. Commoners were not invited...ever.

"I did the reading..." Dusty said, placing her hand on the ball. "And this is the vision I got."

Gallade stared at the ball. Through the smoke he could see couples dancing and nobles laughing and being merry. The two ladies, Suicune and Raikou, were nestled in the arms of two men and looked quite happy with where they were. The vision moved around, as if looking around and Gallade realized to whom they were dancing to.

"I-Is that...?"

Dusty nodded grimly. Up on the stage, near the music players, was their adopted daughter. She was dressed in a beautiful silver and red dress and had her hair done up with shining hair decorations. Her hands were over her chest and Gallade knew she was singing. Strangely enough, she did not look afraid. In fact...she seemed to be smiling and enjoying herself.

"There's more. You didn't see Lord Entei among the dancing nobles, did you?" Dusty asked. Gallade shook his head. "That's because he's not with them. This is the first part of the vision the spirits delivered to me." The angle suddenly shifted around, away from Heatran. The picture changed to Lord Entei, who was sitting a short distance away from where Heatran stood. He had his head rested in his hands and he was watching Heatran with the most softest look in his eyes that Gallade had ever seen. Lord Entei was known as a hardened man, who never showed any soft or weak spots. But now...

"Dusty...it looks like Lord Entei is looking at Heatran with more than admiration..."

"I know..." The picture suddenly changed. The music servants were taking a short break and Heatran was walking away to a chair on the other side of the room. Lord Entei suddenly entered the picture and took her hands, speaking some words to Heatran. Neither Gallade nor Dusty could hear the words, but Heatran's face suddenly changed from her normal colour to a bright red. She was blinking, but not pulling away. Lord Entei put a hand on her shoulder and nodded at her. Slowly, but surely, she nodded as well.

"I wonder what he said to her..." Gallade mused.

"There is much more..." Dusty said. The image flashed again and Heatran was back on the stage with her hands over her chest again. But this time, Lord Entei stood beside her with his hand still on her shoulder. His mouth was moving as well. To Gallade, it looked like he was...

"Singing?" Gallade stared at the ball in shock. "Dusty, are you certain that your vision is accurate this time?"

"My visions are NEVER wrong, my love," Dusty replied. "Somehow...our daughter sings for the three powers' birthday ball and captivates Lord Entei. But how, I just cant figure it out. You haven't spread word of Heatran's talent, have you?"

"No...and I'm sure you haven't, either," Gallade said. Dusty lifted her hand off the ball and the smoke vanished, taking the image with it. "However, this may be an opportunity," he added.

"An opportunity?" Dusty whirled on him. "How can this be an opportunity? She hardly feels ready to sing in front of you and me, much less an entire room full of nobles!"

"You saw the vision, Dusty. Lord Entei was captivated by her. Perhaps I wasn't seeing things, but he appeared to fall in love with her," Gallade pointed out. "If he has, than Heatran has a shot at finding a suitable husband...MORE than suitable. We've tried everything, my dear. There is no man in town who cares for Heatran to be anymore than the quiet little obedient housewife who cooks and cleans. Lord Entei is a very honorable man. If he really showed affection, than he would honor it properly.

"Besides..." Gallade mused. "She was smiling and happy. Why deny her that?"

"Because the whole idea of Heatran entertaining frightens me. And besides, the castle has already hired a whole troop with a singer with them. Why would they need our Heatran?" Dusty retorted.

"You're the one who sees the future. You tell me." Without another word, Gallade got up from the chair and went to the kitchen.

* * *

"Oh no..." Lady Lugia had her hand over her heart and was very pale. Her husband put his arms around her to steady her. Ladies Raikou and Suicune were both very pale, all colour seemingly drained from their faces. Lord Entei was shocked and rooted to the spot, unable to think or speak.

"Xatu...the musical troop...they were ambushed, you say?"

"Yes, my lord Deoxys," the messenger replied. "By a highway Absol. It's a relief that they are unharmed, but the singer had been badly injured by the villain. The lady Altaria regrets to inform you she is unable to sing at our three powers' birthday ball."

Lugia sat down very slowly, taking this news in. Deoxys decided to speak for her. "Inform the music troop they have a place here in the castle to rest in safety. Miss Altaria will receive medical attention from our resident nurse, Blissey. How terrible were her injuries?"

Xatu hesitated. Then he said, "My lord, the Absol held his blade close to her throat and had scarred it. She is very lucky to be alive after such an encounter, for the blade didn't hit her pulse. But...she is in shock. She cannot speak. Her troop had asked her if she could say anything and she could only shake her head."

Now it was Deoxy's turn to slump into his chair. This was terrible news indeed. Without a singer to lead the show, the party could not go on.

"We must find a replacement!" Suicune cried dramatically. "Oh Mother and Father, we absolutely cannot cancel this! That would be horrible!"

"I'm certain there is someone in town who has a voice we could dance to. Sister is right, Mother and Father! Oh please! Send out servants to find someone who can sing for us instead!" Raikou added.

"Hush, you two! First we must be thankful that the troop managed to escape with their lives after such an ordeal!" Lady Lugia finally found her voice. "Your father and I will think of something to do about this problem in the morning, but as of right now you three are forbidden to talk about it! Now hurry on to sleep. We will talk about this in the morning."

Entei, never needing to be told twice, left the room and went to his own room. His wide eyed sisters quickly followed suit, leaving only Lady Lugia, Lord Deoxys and the messenger in the room.

"Xatu, you are dismissed," Deoxys said. The messenger bowed his head and also left. Finally alone with his wife, Deoxys turned to Lady Lugia, clearly troubled.

"I suppose we will do what Raikou wants and send out some servents to find a singer to can take Altaria's place..." Lugia said, reading her husband's eyes. "There isn't any other option. But it must be someone that can be trusted."

"I wholeheartedly agree, my love," Deoxys said. He suddenly stretched and let out a yawn. "But that can wait until morning. For now we should go to sleep and rest."

* * *

**Next theme: Sorrow**

**No pairings.**


	6. Sorrow: Eulogy

**Theme: **28. Sorrow  
**Pairing: **None  
**Summary: **_"I will forget our hardships and remember when our times were golden."  
_**Rating: **K Plus

_**AN: **_This is...I suppose a eulogy to someone who was known as Judgement0 on the internet. Pokemon websites like Smogon, Battle Frontier and the old NSider forums. I had heard he passed away in May due to a heat stroke when he was hiking with his Eagle Scouts.

Our acquaintanceship is detailed in this eulagy.

* * *

_Judgement0. I met him back in 2004 on the simulator NetBattle when the DS didn't have any pokemon games released. He was among many that I had felt I formed a 'family' of sorts online. This was long before the website Battle Frontier was introduced._

_When we didn't have a web domain, our server was the NSider Server. Our main administrator was MewDragon and we were just...happy. I still remember those days when competitive battling was not an issue and everyone was friendly without being egotistical._

_Judge was someone who exhibited a lot of presence in the server. He was a Sage on the forums that the server supported. He was well known to a lot of the people who frequented the server, like MewDragon, SkyUppercut, FiveKRunner, BalladOfWindfishes, ImaWario and ShadowKnight32. Other people who grew to know him were myself, DualRacer, BountyHunter19 and PokemonBattleBrain. _

_What I want to remember is the days before Battle Frontier. Before the showdown against the Serebii server._

_When competitive battling got to be an issue, I learned a lot from my former boyfriend, Sky, PBB, but I learned an important factor from Judge, which was prediction. I had gone from someone who didn't know what they were doing in a battle to someone who knew exactly what they were doing. I have to owe this to my teachers, one of them being Judge._

_Now as we had formed a family, all of us had quarrels. I still remember them all._

_Judge and I had quarreled plenty. At later days the fights had gotten pretty nasty._

_But..._

_I will never forget the pain I felt when I heard he had passed on. I didn't once think about our fights. I didn't think once about the old drama from the past._

_I only thought about the days of bonding, when NetBattle was peaceful. And I felt a sting of regret that I never said I'm sorry for acting like such a child._

_Rest in peace, Judge. I will never forget you or the lessons you taught me in battling._

_

* * *

_

**This was written as a release for my own conflicting feelings when I discovered he had died.**

**Up next is a KrisxSilver drabble with the theme _Playing The Melody._  
**


	7. Playing the Melody: KrisxSilver

**Theme: **67. Playing the Melody**  
Pairing: **Kris (or Crystal, depends what you call her)xSilver**  
Summary: **_Suddenly she was vastly aware her iPod earbuds weren't even in her ears._**  
Rating: **K

* * *

_"It's rude to stare." _Kris heard her mother scold her in her mind. But how could she not? Silver had changed over the past year. He was no longer a cold hearted jerk (though he did snap and mouth off at times) or raggy looking. His hair grew longer and he always had it covering one eye. Kris felt a shudder whenever he looked at her. He looked both dangerous and alluring. It was almost as if he was daring her to...

"Sneasel, now use slash!"

The sudden command jolted Kris back to reality. She didn't realize she was staring at him and his training session. She wasn't even sure if he knew she was around. It was Tuesday and Kris liked coming to the Dragon's Den for the solitude and peaceful atmosphere. She forgot that Silver still trained here, even though it's been a year since they came to terms with each other and quit their vicious rivalry. Now they were simply friends that enjoyed an occasional battle.

Worried Silver might catch her staring, Kris shoved her earbuds in and started playing music from her ipod. She would have preferred the radio, but there was never any signal inside the den. She started listening to Redemption by Gackt and went lost in her own thoughts.

_"Redemption means to renew oneself to become better. Silver did that..."_

Kris felt herself blush when Silver entered her thoughts again. She always tried to deny it to everyone - including herself - that she liked Silver as more than a friend, because she was afraid of rejection.

_"It's not fair. Why does he have to be so attractive and so close to me?" _Kris thought.

She dared to look at him again. Now he was using Magneton in his session. He looked so confident and determined. Without realizing it, Kris began staring again.

It might have been minutes, half an hour or even hours later when Silver finished his training. He looked around and spotted Kris a few meters away, staring in his direction. He blinked and went over to her.

"I didn't know you were here."

"Eek!" Kris jumped.

"Why were you staring at me?" Silver asked.

"I wasn't staring!" Kris quickly replied. She thought fast and added, "I was lost in thought because I was listening to music! See?" she said, pointing to her ears.

Silver looked at her ears and then looked down where Kris's ipod was laying on the ground. "You mean these?" he asked, picking something off the ground. "I didn't know you could listen to music without these.

Suddenly she was vastly aware her iPod earbuds weren't even in her ears. Kris flushed with embarrassment.

Silver looked at the earbuds with interest and held one up to his ear. "The Dance of Eternity...nice song, even without words."

Kris nodded. "I like it...it gets me feeling upbeat."

"Know why it's called the Dance of Eternity?" Silver suddenly asked.

"Um...because it's a dance that people will dance to for all eternity?" Kris guessed.

Silver shook his head. "The song is actually symbolic. There's an old saying that is suppose to represent this song."

"What saying is it?"

Silver hesitated and then replied, "Love is the dance of eternity."

Kris felt herself blush _again. _Silver smirked when he saw it. She blushed way too easily and he knew why.

Kris wasn't a very good liar. Silver was very perceptive. He could see right through her continuous denials and knew she _really _liked him.

Maybe one day, if she stopped lying and told the truth, they would dance the dance of eternity together.

* * *

**Next: Misfortune**

**Pairing: AzelfxDarkrai  
**


	8. Misfortune: DarkraixAzelf

**Theme: **13. Misfortune  
**Pairing: **Onesided DarkraixAzelf  
**Summary:** _It was your own fault for falling in love with me.  
_**Rating: **I'd give it a K plus, just because it implies killing.

**Warning: **Spur of the moment written due to boredom suckage ahead.

* * *

_It will be the end of you. Your love for me will only destroy you._

That was my warning. Still you did not listen. I always catch you staring at me with a blush, a look of tenderness or even a smile.

Why don't you get it? I am a man of darkness! I need one thing only and that's my reputation of terror! I do not need love!

The more I threaten you, the closer you try to get.

Fool.

Love lowers one's guard. With me around, your already weak defenses will leave you vulnerable.

I will destroy you.

Do not blame me for your inevitable demise. It was your own fault. It was your own misfortune that you fell in love with me.

I am nightmares. I am evil. I am Darkrai and I need no one.

Least of all a foolish little pixie girl who doesn't seem to know what true fear is.

* * *

**Darkrai's so interesting because he's a nightmare pokemon and no one really wants to be around him because his special ability is Bad Dreams. I love trying to make Azelf get close to him, even though he'd go batshit and threaten her, but Azelf holds a trump card since she's the willpower pokemon. It's fun to write out. :D **

**The next theme is a poem using _Love _and it's from Azelf's POV.  
**


	9. Love: DarkraixAzelf

**Theme: **2. Love  
**Pairing: **AzelfxDarkrai  
**Summary: **_Love isn't forbidden, it's just hard to find. Love is for everyone, even your kind.  
_**Rating: **K

**AN:** Part 2 in the DarkraixAzelf dangerous love story.

* * *

Father tells me I'm out of my mind.  
Sister tells me you'll eat my soul.  
Brother tells me you'll break my heart  
and leave me to die in a hole.

Everyone tells me I'm wrong  
and that loving you is just a joke.  
But I know much better than that  
for I hold my winning toke.

Those fools seem to forget my purpose  
what I was created for.  
My powers over people's minds  
make my job such a bore.

Do you really think you could destroy me?  
Ha! Surely you jest.  
For messing with people's minds  
is what I can do best.

I can make you stop in place  
and forget what you were trying to do.  
I can make you my own little puppet  
and you wouldn't have a clue.

My only hope, my dear Darkrai  
is that someday...someday you will see  
that I don't need to use my powers  
to make you attracted to me.

Love isn't forbidden  
it's just hard to find.  
Love is for everyone,  
even your kind.

* * *

**I love poetry. **

**Up next is part two in Entei and Heatran's story.  
**


	10. All That I Have: EnteixHeatran

**Theme: **92. All That I Have  
**Pairing: **EnteixHeatran  
**Summary: **_She is my last hope for a life outside...she is all that I have now.  
_**Rating: **K

* * *

Morning came to the region of Johto and brought the land one day closer to the coming of age party for the three noble siblings. But the castle residents were in a panic over the young siren who was suppose to sing at their ball. Because of an attack on the music troop's traveling wagon, Altaria had lost her voice and the servants in the castle were dispatched to find a new singer in the town.

A young man with black hair and red eyes studied the world around him through golden rimmed glasses. Lord Deoxys had sent him to find a beautiful voice suitable to their ears that could entertain. His ears were not the best when it came to such a job, but he was determined to fulfill his duty.

The man suddenly stopped. A soothing and beautiful melody filled his ears, haunting and yet so uplifting. Where was it coming from? The man raced towards the music. He stopped right in front of a small studio that, he recalled, belonged to his acquaintance in the castle, Gallade. Strange...since when did Gallade teach music? And he couldn't recall the last time Gallade ever took a student under his wing.

The young man stepped in closer and was amazed at how beautiful the melody really sounded. Surely this was the type of voice that would please the lords up in the castle?

He steeled his nerves and knocked on the door. The melody stopped and there were sounds of shuffling inside. Gallade opened the door and faced his friend.

"Ah, hello Umbreon."

"Greetings, Gallade," Umbreon said. "Not disturbing you, I hope?"

"Not at all. I was just going through something with my daughter." Gallade gestured towards Heatran, who seemed to shirk away from Umbreon's prescence. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Umbreon cleared his throat and stepped inside. "Gallade, have you heard the news about the hired entertaining troop that came from Hoenn?" Gallade shook his head, so Umbreon continued. "They were attacked. The diva suffered a slight cut to her neck and is left unable to speak or sing. The rest of the troop is moderately unharmed and they are expected to preform, but without a diva, all is lost."

"I see..." Gallade said slowly. "So what brings you here?"

"Lord Deoxys had sent servants out to find a replacement from town that had a beautiful voice," Umbreon answered. "And I couldn't help but overhear...I presume it was your daughter...singing. She sounded extraordinary, Gallade. I think she would be the perfect replacement for the diva."

Gallade went pale. Heatran's eyes widened in horror and she shook her head. "N-No!"

"There is a problem, Umbreon..." Gallade said. "My daughter is very shy. She's never preformed in front of an audience before. And..." Gallade lowered his voice. "She has a LOT of...confidence issues."

"I can see that," Umbreon whispered back. "But I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think she has what it takes. I have never heard a more beautiful voice in my life and I'm sure the lord and lady would agree with me. We need her. Our options are limited."

Gallade sighed unhappily. Now he understood his wife's troubled vision last night. It was going to come true after all. And who was he to try and change the future? He glanced at Heatran, who still looked terrified of the very idea, and then back at Umbreon. "We'll try."

Heatran gasped and put her hands to her mouth, but Umbreon smiled in satisfaction. "I was hoping you'd say that. If you're not busy right now, I'd like you to come with me to the castle."

"Just give us a few minutes, okay?" Gallade asked. Umbreon nodded and said he would wait outside. Once the black haired man was gone, Heatran burst into tears.

"I-I can't do it! How c-can you say yes? I'm a h-horrible singer! And I-I'm so ugly! The lord a-and lady will laugh at me!"

"Heatran..." Gallade put his arms around her. "Listen to me. You've been living with this illusion that you're horrible and useless for so long. You've got to open your eyes and see yourself for how beautiful you are. Your voice is captivating and you have a shine that no one else has. Now you just have to show it."

Heatran didn't say anything, but Gallade didn't give up. "Heatran, it's true that I did find you near a volcano and Dusknoir and I took you in, but not a moment of my life went by with regretting it. Even if we're not your true parents, we have always loved you as though you were really our own. And we both want you to be happy. Everyone deserves to be happy and that includes you."

"B-But..." Heatran stammered. "I-I've never preformed i-in front of a-anyone before. Can I really...do this?"

Gallade raised an eyebrow at the lack of stammering in her question and then smiled. "I believe you can. Your voice is beautiful and so are you. Now it's time to make the world know it."

Heatran was silent and very sullen looking. She bit her lower lip and finally nodded. "I'll...I'll try."

"Good girl." Gallade kissed the top of her head. "You don't need to try. Your voice is a treasure anyway. Now let's get a few songs you know well and let's head for the castle."

Heatran selected some of her most favourite melodies (Siren, Beauty and the Beast, She Is My Sin) and followed her foster father out of the studio. Her heart was still pounding against her ribcage and she was shaking with nervousness. The young girl replayed the words of her father out in her head and started taking deep breaths to calm herself.

She could do this. She had to do this.

Umbreon lead his friend and the singing girl on the path to the castle and nodded at the guards to let them pass. The guards eyed Heatran with surprise, as if they had no idea Gallade had a daughter. Those who knew him also knew his wife was not capable of bearing children. The truth was Gallade never spoke much about Heatran. He was always afraid someone would come forward and claim her as their child and he and his wife would never have a child anymore.

Umbreon continued to walk until the three of them found the throne room. As usual, Lord Deoxys and Lady Lugia were sitting in their respective spots. Lady Lugia looked up when she saw her servant approaching.

"Good morning, Umbreon. What brings you here?"

"My lady," Umbreon said as he bowed. "As per your orders, I left early this morning to search for a lovely voice to sing at your children's birthday ball and I believe I have found the voice you require." He stood up and gestured for Gallade and Heatran to step forward. "Speak."

"Lady Lugia and Lord Deoxys," Gallade said, bowing. Heatran, not knowing what else to do, also bowed. "My name is Gallade. I am a soldier here in the castle that is often stationed in town. I come before you to introduce my daughter, who has a voice that can rival the sirens of Hoenn," he continued, referring to the rare Milotics only seen in Hoenn.

"Is this true?" Deoxys asked. Lugia looked very interested and looked the girl up and down.

"You're very young, child. Tell me, what is your name?" she asked.

Heatran swallowed and stepped forward. "I am called H-Heatran, my lady."

"Is what your father claims true?" Lugia asked.

"Yes, my lady," Heatran said.

"Very interesting. Alright, then," Lugia said. "Umbreon, please call my son and daughters into here. We shall let them judge your voice."

Heatran nodded, although she was very shaky. Umbreon left without a word and returned a few minutes later with Lady Suicune, Lady Raikou and Lord Entei. The two ladies didn't appear to be impressed with the sight of a commoner girl in their home, but Entei studied her with a hint of interest. Gallade noted this with a small smile and took a seat at the piano in the room.

"What song do you want to sing first, Heatran?" he asked. Giving her the first choice would make her feel comfortable and let her be confident in the eyes of authority.

"Siren and Beauty and the Beast are duets...Father, can we sing Siren, please?" Heatran asked. She flushed when she realized it was the first time she had ever called Gallade 'Father' and hid her face from the nobles.

Gallade was also surprised, but recovered quickly. "Of course, dear. I'll sing the male parts." Heatran nodded, which gave him the cue to play. He played the first few notes of The Siren and Heatran became lost in the music. She closed her eyes, waiting for her cue and allowing herself to become one with the music.

_"A laaaaaaady with a violin...plaaaaaaaaaying to the seas...oh! Oh! Oh! Ohhhhhhhh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!"_

Lord Deoxys shot up in his seat and Lady Lugia stared at the seemingly plain girl with amazement. That voice didn't rival the Milotics of Hoenn...it surpassed them!

_"Heeeeeeeeeeeearken to the sound...ooooooooooooof calling...oh! Oh! Oh! Ohhhhhhhh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!" _Heatran lifted her head up high and began to belt out notes that made everyone in the room shudder.

_"Who tied my hands to the wheel?" _Gallade sang out, but no one was really interested in his voice. Heatran continued her humming loudly in the background and she could feel all the eyes on her. She knew she had them hooked, like fish on a rod. _"The Zodiac turns over me! Come to me...somewhere there, my fate is revealed! I hear, but how will I see...?"_

The notes that followed from the piano and Heatran's voice were haunting and Raikou and Suicune were sighing dreamily. Entei, on the other hand, watched Heatran with a soft look.

_"Aaaaaaaaaaaai hiyaaaaaaaaaa...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai...aiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."_

_"I tied myself to the wheel..." _Gallade sang with Heatran humming in the background. _"The winds talk to my sails, not me. Come to me...somewhere there my fate is revealed. I hear, but how will I see...?" _he ended with the last notes and Heatran's low and throaty humming. Then it was silent in the throne room.

"I...my goodness..." Lady Lugia had her hand over her heart and was struggling to catch her breath. "That was amazing!"

"I must admit I did doubt your word when you said her voice rivaled the sirens of Hoenn..." Deoxys said, who was just as breathless as his wife. "But you have chased that doubt from my mind."

Raikou and Suicune were speechless. Entei had lost his hardened look, his tough exterior completely shattered by this plain girl who had an extraordinary talent. His heart pounded faster as he watched her move, bowing to each member of his family and thanking them for such high praise.

There was no way he was letting her get away.

"Mother, Father..." he said. "I want her to be the singer at our ball."

Gallade's face burst into the biggest smile and Heatran blushed from the praise. Entei faced his parents again. "And I won't take no for an answer. She has the most beautiful voice in Johto...no! In all the world! It would be a shame if she did not sing for us."

"I agree!" Suicune suddenly broke her silence. "I was so enchanted by your voice!" she added, facing Heatran.

"I could not even speak," Raikou said. "Your voice chased away all my words and wrapped me in a spell."

"My ladies..." Heatran bowed again. "Thank y-you."

"I suppose it is settled, then..." Deoxys faced his wife and then looked at Heatran and Gallade. "Young Heatran, would you stay here and practice with the musical troop we have? The ball is only two days away and much practise should be done to ensure you are ready. We will provide you food and a room here in the castle until after the ball."

"But..." Heatran glanced at Gallade. "My parents? Can I not see them?"

"Is that a concern?" Lugia asked Gallade, who nodded.

"She tends to become...shy...in unfamiliar settings. If you would allow us to stay with her, it will ensure she does not become homesick or get in the way of her singing."

"I see..." Lugia put a finger to her lips and finally nodded. "I see no harm in it."

Heatran's pink eyes lit up and she hugged her foster father happily. Gallade was also smiling. "My lieges, thank you."

Lugia was also smiling. "You may return to town and grab anything you think you will need for your stay here, but please don't be slow. The musical troop wishes to get started very soon with practise."

"Yes, my lady." Gallade and Heatran bowed again.

"Umbreon, please escort Gallade and Heatran back to their home and wait until they are ready to bring them back here," Deoxys instructed. Umbreon nodded and led the father and daughter pair out of the throne room. When they were gone, Raikou and Suicune burst into dreamy sighs and gossip.

"Absolutely amazing..."

"Delightful!"

"She will be a hit for sure!"

Entei wasn't listening. Without a word, he got up and left the throne room, heading in the direction of his room. Deoxys and Lugia eyed him with curiosity and then faced each other, speaking with their eyes.

In Entei's room, the long haired man fell on his bed with a sigh. He couldn't believe it was possible for his heart to beat so fast or for his face to turn so red, but it had happened. That girl had made him have feelings he had never experienced before. How was it possible? He was Entei, the long haired lord, the lion of fire. He never allowed tender feelings to cross his mind, let alone his heart. And yet, he felt soft inside.

There was a knock at his door. Entei turned to face away as Lady Lugia entered the room.

"Hello, son," she said.

"Hello, Mother," Entei replied. He wasn't in the mood to talk. "How are the plans for the ball?" he asked, hoping he could send his mother out without being rude.

"Your father and sisters are working on them," Lugia replied. "And you?" she asked, sitting at the foot of his bed. "You seem to take no interest in your upcoming seventeenth birthday, Entei."

Entei shrugged. "I suppose I'm not keen on my future responsibilities."

Lugia laughed. "Ah, you," she said, smiling. "I can tell, just by a glance, that you don't want to become the next heir to Johto." Entei didn't say anything, so Lugia continued. "You know, it seems to run in our family. You were raised without knowing this, but I was not an only child when I was young. I had an older brother who was destined to take on the role of Johto's lord, but he never did."

That got Entei's attention. He raised his head and faced Lugia, his eyes full of questions. "Are you saying I have an uncle? Why didn't he take on the role of Johto's lord? Did he..." his voice trailed off, but Lugia knew what he wanted to ask.

"No, he did not die. Something else happened to him that made him escape the role, which was passed down to me. It's not entirely impossible for a lady to inherit the title of heir, you know," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"Mother..." Entei began. "I don't understand. Why are you telling me this?"

"I can see it, my son. You have no interest in becoming the heir and I would not force an unwanted fate upon one of my own children," Lugia answered. "I'm certain Suicune would not mind being the next heir, since she's the second oldest."

Entei blinked in surprise as Lugia got up to leave. "Mother, you're...serious?"

"I am," Lugia said. "My son, when I look at you, I see my brother in your eyes. He was a soul hungry for adventure and longed to be outside. I loved him dearly and I still do. I understood his plight and he left this place, happier than I had ever seen him. I'm certain you will be just like that as well, Entei." Lugia started to walk out of the door.

"Mother, I have one more question," Entei quickly said. Lugia turned to look at him, still smiling. "You said something happened to your brother that had made him escape his role. What happened to him?"

"Ah yes..." Lugia put a finger to her lips. "He fell in love, Entei. With a young girl who had arrived to deal with a problem we were having with the lighting in the castle. She was very mischievous and playful, if I recall correctly. She was everything he had longed for and he left with her."

Entei was stunned. Love?

"You're just like him...my son," Lugia looked at him a bit more firmly before she left the room, closing the door behind her. Entei fell back on the bed, stunned. His mother had said she was just like her brother, someone who had fallen in love and left the castle to escape his duties. Sure Entei wanted to escape his duties, but was he really in love?

His mind flashed back to the singing girl and his heart began to pound again. Heatran...

"I guess I will find out when she returns..." he said to himself.

* * *

She did, indeed, come back half an hour later.

Heatran and her parents were welcomed warmly by Deoxys, Lugia and the two girls. Lugia introduced her to the musical troop that had come from Sinnoh, who each appeared to be very happy to have a replacement so quickly. (The diva, Altaria, had been sent back home for treatment.)

There was the male drummer with crazy blond hair named Jirachi, the green haired woman with a flower in her hair called Shaymin and the troop leader who played piano, named Phione. He smiled at Heatran warmly and the troop had began practicing in the ballroom right away. Even though the leader requested privacy while practicing, Entei could not resist listening to what was going on from behind the closed doors. Heatran began to sing and, once again, shivers were sent up his spine and made his whole inside soften up.

_"Give me strength, great overlord Arceus, for I truly believe I am in love with the singer girl. She is my last hope for a life outside...she is all I have now."_

* * *

**This story really melts my heart.**

**Up next is the theme _Rated _with LeafxBrock. Yes, weird pairing. I MADE IT UP.  
**


	11. Rated: LeafxBrock

**Theme: **40. Rated  
**Pairing: **LeafxGame!Brock (LeafStoneShipping)  
**Summary: **_"I rate girls like I rate rocks. Smooth or sharp, clear or mysterious, big or small..."  
_**Rating: **K plus to be really safe, but there's nothing really explicit. Just a lot of checking out girls on Brock's part.

**AN: **This version of Brock hardly ever gets used. I still really like Anime!Brock, but I haven't watched the Pokemon anime seriously since I was...ten. But since they're more or less around the same person, I incorporated Brock's anime personality (womanizer) in here.

**Warning:** This theme is rated **F&S** for _funny_ and _stupid._

_

* * *

_

"You're kidding, right?" Leaf looked at the Pewter City Gym Leader in disbelief. "You actually use rocks to figure out girls?"

"That's right," Brock said. Leaf burst into laughter and he frowned. "It actually works! Don't laugh at things you know nothing about!"

"Alright, Mister Wise Guy," Leaf said, still chuckling. She wiped her eyes and looked at him. "Show me how you're able to compare rocks and girls together."

"Let's go for a walk, then," Brock suggested. "There's always some trainers around Mt. Moon, including girls. I'll show you how it works."

"You're on. But first, I want my badge," Leaf said, holding out her hand. Brock placed the Boulder Badge in it and Leaf grinned. "Sweet!"

"Don't get too confident. I'm only the first leader," Brock warned. Leaf shrugged and put the badge on her trainer card. The unlikely pair left the gym together and Brock began his lesson on using rocks to rate girls.

"See her? That girl there with the black hair?" Brock asked, pointing to a girl on a bench. Leaf nodded. "She's like an Everstone. Plain, smooth and immature."

"Immature?" Leaf asked.

"Everstones keep pokemon from evolving," Brock explained. "And look at what she's doing."

Leaf took a closer look at the girl. She appeared to be talking loudly on a cellphone and using the words "like" and "oh my God" every few words.

"Ew. Okay, I see your point," Leaf said. Her eyes fell on a red haired girl playing with a Vulpix near the museum. "How about her?"

"A heat rock," Brock answered. "Sharp, probably due to wittiness. Good when it's sunny but a bore on a rainy day."

"Doesn't sound like an all around girl," Leaf remarked.

"Nope," Brock replied. They walked a little further around the city until he spotted another girl walking with headphones in her ears. "I can see a Dusk Stone over there."

"What makes her a Dusk Stone?"

"Look at her make up. Her clothes," Brock said. "She's wearing a lot of black stuff on her lips and eyes. Her clothes are tight and short. She's probably listening to something dark and depressing too. A girl to avoid, unless a guy is into the dark types, which Dusk stones are meant for," he continued.

"Not your type, obviously," Leaf remarked. "You're more into a girl who can be down to earth, right?"

"Pretty much," Brock answered. His smile widened. "Want to find out?"

Leaf chuckled. "I'm still not convinced, Brock-the-rock," she teased. "You've been able to compare only three girls to stones."

"Alright, alright," Brock groaned. They walked a little further and Leaf spotted an elegant looking girl with a big hat and a dress on.

"What kind of stone is she?" she asked.

"Her?" Brock studied the girl a bit before finally saying, "She's a Water Stone. Calm, cool and probably very bubbly. She must giggle a lot."

"Gag me," Leaf muttered. "Giggling too much gets on my nerves."

Brock shrugged, pretending not to hear her. "There's a Sun Stone over there," he said, pointing to another girl. "Warm, gentle and nature loving. And there's a Thunder Stone. Energetic, athletic and lightning fast. "There's a smooth rock and a damp rock and..."

"Alright!" Leaf finally had enough. "Okay, Rocky man, you've proven your point. I won't laugh anymore."

Brock grinned again. "I'm not finished."

"You're right," Leaf agreed. She wiggled an eyebrow at him and said, "You haven't rated me."

Brock's grin vanished. "Uh..."

"Come on! You've rated every other girl with a rock of some sort. Now I'm curious what you see me as," Leaf urged.

"You're...a Leaf Stone," Brock finally said. Leaf rolled her eyes and punched his arm.

"Not funny!"

"I thought it was," Brock retorted, laughing. "Okay okay. Truth is you're actually my favourite type of stone, the Moon Stone. Beautiful, rare, valuable and strong." When he finished his speech, Brock felt his face heat up in embarrassment. "That sounded weird...sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Leaf smiled at him. "That was actually really flattering. So you think I'm beautiful and rare?"

"You're the down to earth girl you mentioned earlier," Brock admitted. "You're honest and dedicated to your pokemon. Your Squirtle fought so hard against me and I was really impressed. I have a feeling you'll be a great trainer one day down the road."

"Aw thanks, Brock," Leaf said, finally stopping the nicknames.

"With that said, want to go out sometime?" Brock asked.

"Sorry, Brocko, but you need a better pick up line then that. Besides, I still have my journey to think about. But..." Leaf put a finger to her chin, pretending to think. "I do like it here. I think I'll come back to visit soon."

"Can I at least take you out to lunch?" Brock refused to give up, and Leaf could see that. She agreed to that, under one condition.

"Don't say one thing about rocks and girls."

* * *

**Gotta love cracky stuff.**

**Up next is _Pen and Paper _with EinxVenus, my favourite Colosseum pairing (even a little bit more than WesxRui).  
**


	12. Pen and Paper: EinxVenus

**Theme: **81. Pen and Paper  
**Pairing: **EinxVenus (CipherShipping)  
**Summary: **_How do you get a serious scientist's attention? When words aren't enough, perhaps notes disguised as reports might do the trick.  
_**Rating: **T for non-descriptive sexy time between two adults

**Warning: **Read the rating again. If you can't handle sex (even if it is non-descriptive and only slightly shown), please be a mature adult and hit the back button. Moonlit Assassin is not responsible for corrupting twelve year olds who are reading fanfiction against the rules of the ToS or anonymously.

**AN: **Yes, I couldn't resist. CipherShipping ftw. I think I'm also the first to write it. If I'm not and someone else knows of anything involving CipherShipping, PLEASE TELL ME.

CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW CIPHERSHIPPING FTW

* * *

Some 'fiance' Ein was turning out to be. Ever since Venus and Ein had agreed to work with Cipher, he hadn't paid any attention to her in the slightest. Venus was growing tired and secretly frustrated that her lover hadn't so much as touched her in the past month. The only signs of affection she got was a quick kiss on the cheek or lips before he rushed off back to the Shadow Pokemon Lab to continue shadowfying Pokemon for the boss.

Words did nothing. Ein either ignored her or was so focused on his work that he didn't even notice her around. Venus had enough of that. Something had to happen or she was going to scream. She was dedicated to the Grand Master's plan, but she still found herself thinking of Ein constantly and wishing they could spend some time together.

She checked the clock and realized it was evening. The Under Times wouldn't be airing until the morning and all of her workers and Cipher Peons had their free time. Venus knew, from visiting the lab, that the schedule was around the same over there. She also knew Ein would still be around, working his hot ass off like usual.

But how to get Ein's attention? If she walked in there and tried to speak to him, he was just going to brush her off and she'd walk out with tears in her eyes.

Venus slapped her hand against her desk and bit her fingernails. How did the lowly peons get his attention? Probably by bringing him new reports or new pokemon to close the hearts of. She didn't have any pokemon he'd want to shadowfy or reports he would want to see.

Her hand fell close to her pens and paper stack. Venus stared at them for a while before getting an idea.

"If Ein won't listen to me...he might as well read me..."

Venus smiled to herself and began writing some notes out. When she finished, she grabbed some folders used for filing reports and ran downstairs to the Under Subway.

* * *

The Under idol arrived at the lab and went inside. The halls were mostly empty, but luckily for her, she spotted a researcher walking around.

"Beg your pardon." Venus spoke with an air of authority. The researcher jumped and faced her.

"L-Lady Venus! If you are looking for Master Ein, he's in the usual spot at his computer," the researcher said.

"Never mind that," Venus said, holding out a folder. "I have a new report from Nascour. He wants this delivered to Ein right away. Would you be a dear..." She eyed his name tag. "...Kotan...and deliver this to him before you leave? I have to get back to the Under to resume sorting Shadow Pokemon to give out as prizes in the Colosseum."

"Yes ma'am!" Kotan said. He accepted the report and hurried off to Ein's part of the lab. With his back turned to her, Kotan didn't see Venus slip into the halls and into the other labs. He arrived down in Ein's lab, where the scientist was typing away furiously on his computer.

"Master Ein, I have a new report for you," the researcher said. "It's from Master Nascour and he wishes for you to see it right away."

"Very good. Just leave it on my desk, Kotan, and head home for the night. I'm just about done here," Ein replied, not looking up from the screen. Kotan nodded and left the folder beside Ein before taking the elevator up to the main floor and leaving the lab through the main entrance.

The chief of the scientists finished with his typing and sighed. Another report. He figured this meant he was going to be here for quite a while. He opened the report and read it.

_"There's been a shadow pokemon that's been unruly in the caged area. The shadow Sneasel has been hacking at the bars. Make sure the bars are not close to breaking before you leave."_

An unruly shadow pokemon? It seemed likely, but this was the first he heard of it. Ein headed over to the cage area, where they kept all recently shadowfied pokemon, and looked around. The Piloswine, Granbull, Vibrava and Sneasel all stared at him with dark eyes, but Ein ignored them. They all had food and water, so they were fine. He checked the bars on Sneasel's cage but he didn't see any signs of them breaking.

"Odd...maybe Nascour was mistaken," Ein muttered. Then he noticed a note on the floor close to Sneasel's cage. "Hm? What's this?" Ein asked (to no one in particular) before picking it up and reading it.

_"The upstairs solitary computer lab has a report on how to prevent purification in Shadow Pokemon."_

Ein's eyes widened. So those lousy researchers had found a way after all to prevent purification! Finally, they would make some headway on the plan and take over the Orre region.

The scientist rushed out of the caged area and went upstairs to the computer lab. To his surprise, there was a very dim light on and he could make out the silhouette of someone sitting at the desk in front of the computer.

"Excuse me." Ein cleared his throat. "But I would like the report on the anti purification. After that, you may leave for the night."

"I gave your scientists the night off, love." Ein froze. He knew that voice. That voice was the reason he worked his ass off every night and leaving no time for what he wanted to do. What was _she _doing here?

Venus stood up and faced him. Ein's heart started to pound as he realized she had discarded her usual big pink and white dress for a see through black lace nightgown. The outline of her black, strapless bra and black panties showed, even in the dim light. Her hair was loose as well. Ein started to sweat as he felt his pants suddenly shrink a few sizes.

Thrilled at having her lover's attention for the first time in a long time, Venus walked over to him, slowly and seductively. "You haven't been paying much attention to me, Ein."

"I...uh...Venus..." Ein stammered.

Venus stood in front of him and wrapped her naked arms around his neck. She smelled of fresh roses and soap, making Ein's nose tingle in delight.

"You haven't so much as even kissed me for a while now, Ein," Venus breathed. Without waiting for a response, she pressed her lips to Ein's and kissed him passionately and slowly. Ein eventually got over his shock and started kissing her back. He started to run his hands down Venus's smooth hips, earning some gasps from the mouth of the woman. That was all he needed to forget that they were bosses in Cipher, working for an evil scheme and turning Pokemon into dangerous fighting machines. As Venus started to touch him back and run her hands down his chest, Ein soon forgot they were even in a lab. All reason had vanished from his mind now. He could only think of Venus and taking her.

There wasn't so much as a cot, let alone a bed, in this lab, but Venus showed signs of not caring as she pulled Ein on top of the desk and started to remove his coat. For once, Ein didn't bother to stop her. Clothes were discarded and left on the floor as the two lusting syndicate bosses hungrily kissed and touched each other. Venus realized, through the desperate kisses and the rough groping, that he was just as starved for intimacy as she was.

And Arceus, did it ever feel good to satisfy the hunger.

As Ein began to ravish her body, Venus couldn't help but smile at how simple her idea was and how amazingly it was effective. A simple use of the pen and paper turned her frustration into satisfaction.

Damn Nascour for keeping them apart for so long. Damn the plan and damn everything else. This was what really mattered. This was the reason for everything. When they had their paid bonus, they were going to leave Orre forever and start a new life together.

But that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy little moments in Eden when no one else was around.

* * *

**I love this pairing so much. :D**

**Up next is the theme _Enemy_ with...an enemy. ;O  
**


	13. Trouble Lurking: Enemy

**Theme: **25. Trouble Lurking  
**Pairing: **It's a secret, but I have a feeling you'll pick up on the hints...  
**Summary: **_First I'm going to steal your life...then your pokemon...and finally, I'm gonna steal your girl.  
_**Rating: **Erm...K plus, to be safe? Some of this stuff might make the younger folk uncomfortable.

* * *

You thought you defeated us. You thought that you had restored peace. Yeah right, you pseudo-hero! We're not really gone. I still remain! And I have a plan to make a lot of trouble for you and this entire region.

I will make myself become you. I CAN make myself become you. Doesn't that terrify you?

Once I become you, I will slowly start taking your life. When people see me, they will call me by your name. They will trust me, like they trust you. And then I will betray them, like you betrayed your former team.

They will hate you.

You will have nowhere to run anymore.

Then I will really commence causing trouble for you. I will approach your pokemon when your back is turned. I will make them believe I'm you. I will take them and use them under my command, along with my own. When your pokemon see you, they will believe you are the fake and not me.

You will lose your only allies. You will have no support or protection.

Ah, but I'm forgetting something, aren't I! The girl you have at your side! The girl with the weird looking pigtails and dark, crystal blue eyes. She was one of the keys for bringing us down, wasn't she? I've heard you and her have grown very close in your journey to stop us. It's something I heard from Headquarters. No matter who dared to grab her, taunt her or tried to kidnap again, you took on a protective glare and acted as her prince. How sweet! How noble! How stupid. Now that girl has placed her utter trust in you.

Have you kissed her yet? I hope you have. It will make things much easier for me.

She will be all that remains for me to take. I will seduce her and make her believe I'm her real prince. I'll be the one she comes running to, not you.

And once she's mine, I will become you completely. Nothing will be missing.

Doesn't that scare you?

We are the same, you and I. Criminals. Don't try to justify it. You worked for a team of thieves and I work for a criminal syndicate. Our only difference is that you tricked people into thinking you are a hero.

If you can do that, so can I.

* * *

**Know who this is? It's somewhat revealed in chapter 17.**

**Up next is _Silence_ with the PMD2 Heroine paired with Dusknoir. o_O  
**


	14. Silence: PMD2HeroinexDusknoir

**Theme: **15. Silence  
**Pairing: **PMD2!HeroinexDusknoir  
**Summary: **_They weren't suppose to love each other. But they had. She wasn't suppose to come back. But she did. She wasn't suppose to want to stay dead. But she wanted to.  
_**Rating: **K plus, I guess...

**AN: **Whoa, freaking plot bunnies!! I got an idea for this by reading someone's profile. o_o Let's see how I can manage this.

Also, I thought I'd never write anything remotely close to a humanxpokemon story...but since the hero of PMD starts as a human, I guess I gotta.

Heroine is based on my own PMD2 character, a Pikachu named Star.

* * *

In this world ruled by Pokemon, humans were a rare sighting. Perhaps that's why Dusknoir was intrigued by this blond girl. She was constantly followed by a Grovyle and tried to be friendly with all the pokemon she met. Some responded, others shunned her for intruding on their world.

He did not do either.

When she approached him, he pretended not to notice. His appearance was sure to scare her. He's a _ghost _pokemon after all. His stomach had a gaping hole in it; a never ending dark abyss that would damn all who was swallowed by it. He had only one eye that could freeze the blood of anyone who looked at it. His fists were menacing and his arms were so thick, he looked like he could hurl a Graveler easily. He scared off everyone, unintentionally.

He hated it.

This human was too naive. He didn't want to give her a bad scare and chase her away. Many pokemon, especially the younger ones, enjoyed her company. If she was frightened because of him, he would be responsible and the others would pin the blame on him.

Her shadow fell over him, but he never turned around. She didn't say anything either and her shadow soon vanished after a few seconds.

When he turned around, there was a crown of flowers where the shadow once was.

* * *

He decided not to ignore her this time. It was obvious her naivety was blinding her to fear. He decided to take advantage of that.

"I'm not stupid, Dusknoir," the girl smiled at him. "I'm seventeen. I've seen plenty of different pokemon. Some of them were mean, but you're not like that."

"How do you know?" Dusknoir asked her.

"You kept your back to me. If you were truly mean and cruel, you would have turned around and attacked me. An Arcanine once did, not out of surprise, but out of spite," she said, showing him deep scratch marks on her arms and chest. "He thought it was funny."

"What if I'm just trying to trap you? Trick you into thinking I'm nice?" Dusknoir asked.

"Then I guess I am a fool," she said. "But maybe you'll be my friend until you trap me." She gave him another flower. "I have a name, but I don't like it very much. So just call me Star. I'll see you again, Dusknoir."

And she left.

* * *

Sometimes they didn't have to say anything to be happy. Star, Grovyle and Dusknoir went on walks through the 'Mystery Dungeons' and had plenty of picnics together. Most of the time was spent in silence, but it was okay because Grovyle didn't like to talk much, Dusknoir was antisocial and Star enjoyed looking at the scenery more.

Besides, in all that silence, it gave Star and Dusknoir chances to sneak glances at each other without Grovyle noticing.

And Star hoped Grovyle would never notice.

* * *

This time, Dusknoir is the one who gives her a flower.

He overheard her say how much she loved roses and how beautiful she thought they were. Grovyle, being the grass pokemon he was, was happy to be talking about floral life and nature. Dusknoir had other things on his mind.

When Grovyle is absent for a short period of time, Dusknoir has his opportunity and presents a red rose to her. The look on her face is one of pure surprise and joy and she doesn't say anything. But her actions are enough. She throws her arms around Dusknoir and gives him a grateful hug. He's never had one before.

When she's busy inhaling the scent of the rose, Grovyle returns and questions Dusknoir about it. He has nothing to say and Grovyle smirks.

"Roses are just one of the many flowers that reveal passion and love. Want to know more?"

* * *

It's all that stupid gecko's fault. Now Dusknoir actually thinks he's in love with Star, which is odd. He's a ghost _pokemon _and she's just some wandering human. Humans didn't really belong in their secluded world, but she made a home for herself around there anyway.

And Dusknoir constantly found himself seeking specific flowers on his walks through the Mystery Dungeons. Soon she gets a clear idea of what he's trying to say to her, but she's not repulsed by it. Perhaps it was her destiny to prefer the company of pokemon more than her own kind, but Star decided to accept Dusknoir's feelings and she even returned them.

The only other one who knew was Grovyle, but otherwise it was a secret.

* * *

Happy times do not last.

The ruler of the Temporal Tower was enraged about the events happening in the past. Some _stupid and idiotic _numb skull put the gears of time in different locations, removing them from the tower of the past and screwing up the balance of time and nature. Their world was slowly consumed by darkness and Dialga was going insane. The three friends were determined to find out how to set things right, so they went to see the red Celebi in the forest. But what she revealed to them would change everything forever.

Star now realized the reason for everything. She had a secret ability, called the Dimensional Scream, that separated her from other humans. (Which would explain her preference of pokemon, who didn't seem to shun her as much.) The red Celebi instructed her on how to use her powers and what they were suppose to do. Now the three of them had a mission: go to the past and fix the Time Gears back in their right places. Celebi would be more than happy to send them to the past. There was one major drawback, though.

"Once you sort out the problem of the past, this type of future will cease to exist, as will those who live in it...meaning all of us," Celebi said. "However, if nothing is done, this world will always be dark. And I can't stand that!" she wailed. "I will give up my life to save this world. I don't care what happens to me, just change it!"

"Wait!" Star stopped Celebi. "What about us?"

"Yeah...unfortunately, you'll vanish as well. But what would you rather do?" Celebi asked. "Live in this dark and empty world or sacrifice yourself for a better world?"

Both Star and Grovyle saw her point. Dusknoir did not.

"Vanish? For a world where I was greatly disliked? Never!" he hissed.

This is what turned him into a bad guy. But to Star, he was still her secret lover.

"Dusknoir, you can't mean that! Please come with us!" she pleaded. "The overwhelming darkness in this world is terrible. There's nothing good about it!"

"Oh, so now you're saying darkness is terrible and evil, right? Did you forget what I am born from?" Dusknoir snapped. Star stepped back, evidently hurt.

"I...I didn't mean it like that, Dusknoir..."

"No, of course not!" Dusknoir yelled. "You don't mean to insult me by saying this world is dark and evil and silent. Even though you've just described me to a T!"

"You're not evil!" Star cried. "But if you refuse to help us save this world, maybe you're slowly becoming it!"

"Maybe I am."

"Save it, Dusknoir," Grovyle said. "We're going, even if you're not." The red Celebi opened the time portal and Grovyle pulled Star into it. On an impulse, Dusknoir jumped into it as well. Not because he wanted to help them.

But because he wanted to stop them.

* * *

He knew it was her. He would recognize her anywhere, even in the body of a pokemon.

That's exactly what she had become. Dusknoir wasn't sure how she had turned into a Pikachu and he was too busy trying to track down Grovyle and stop him to figure it out. But it wasn't the body changing thing that had hurt him.

She had lost all of her memories. She couldn't even remember who she was or where she was from. And she definitely didn't remember him.

He kept that part silent, but inside he was screaming with rage.

For some reason, he really enjoyed throwing Star's new identity in Grovyle's face. But in the same fashion, Grovyle really enjoyed throwing Dusknoir and Star's relationship back in Dusknoir's face. Star's new partner, a Charmander named Metro, was caught in the middle and was forced to comfort the upset Pikachu.

The worst part was she couldn't remember either Grovyle or Dusknoir, but now she knew she was _suppose to_ and the fact she just _couldn't _was hurting her heart.

It hurt even more when Dusknoir never hesitated to raise his powers against her.

* * *

They had won. They succeeded in replacing the five Time Gears and setting things right. Star knew she'd never recover her memories, but she was oddly happy about it. Once they vanished, maybe her spirit and Dusknoir's could start over anew. Grovyle would be there too, and they would both help her recover her memories. She was happy thinking about it.

That's why she wasn't sad at all when her time to vanish had come. She bid farewell to Metro, who was so sad about the whole thing. Metro was very nice to her and she cherished him, but he wasn't filling in the void Grovyle and Dusknoir had left in her heart. And she had no choice. She accepted her fate of dying to save the world from a dark fate. Perhaps that was also a part of her destiny.

But Metro wouldn't let go. His sadness reached Dialga, who had brought her back. Just at the time when she was getting settled in the afterlife with Dusknoir and Grovyle and even the red Celebi, who had taken a true liking to Grovyle.

She hated it.

Why? WHY?! Why couldn't Metro just move on without her? Dead is suppose to be dead! She was suppose to start over with the one who she loved and loved her! It was suppose to be a renewal of vows!

The others from the Wigglytuff Guild were thrilled to see her again. She returned their enthusiasm with fake smiles.

They didn't know her silence was because of anger and hatred of being alive again.

She kept it all inside. What else could she do? If she told Metro, he was only going to go more emo and beg for forgiveness. Then the whole Guild and town would look at her weirdly. That would only screw her life up even more.

So she stayed silent. She rarely spoke and hardly ever looked happy. All she could do was wait for the day she dies, so she can finally be reunited with her loved ones in the afterlife.

Maybe, just maybe before she dies, she'll break the silence and reveal everything.

But not now.

* * *

**Stupid section divider is dead. I e-mailed Fanfiction about it and they said it was temporarily disabled. WELL IT HAD BETTER BE ENABLED SOON. -shakes fist-I guess I'm a hypocrite now. I really hate HumanxPokemon because it makes me cringe and think of beastiality and yet I wrote it. ****CRAP.**** I COULD NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER WAY TO WRITE THIS.**

**AND YET I LIKED IT.**

**Maybe because the human becomes a pokemon, so that could justify it and shit like that.**

**Oh God I'm rambling. I'm acting like Regii when he doesn't know what to say. (I love you really, tho.)**

**Screw this, I'm going to bed.**

**-Moonlit Assassin**


	15. Food: Many PokemonxPokemon

**Theme: **87. Food  
**Pairing(s): **MunchlaxxPichu (main one, HamburgerShipping), many PokemonxPokemon and TrainerxTrainer  
**Summary: **_A family that eats together stays together. For sure.  
_**Rating: **K, but maybe slight K plus because one of my Pikachus is a total pervert and my Lucario and Salamence like to swear.

**AN: **Oh God, what have I done?

Yes, total RP based theme.

With me and Regii. And our pokemon. There is a LOT.

Be prepared for crazyness.

* * *

The smell of different types of food wafted from a large house in Blackthorn City. If one were to look inside, one would get a stronger sense of what was being cooked in the kitchen. Ground beef was being sizzled on one element on a stove, a large steak was being cooked rare on another element, toast was being toasted in the toaster, protein shakes were being blended and several bags of chips, cookies and other snacks littered the counter. A young woman was standing in the middle of all of it, sighing.

"Feeding a family of kids would probably be easier than feeding two teams of hungry pokemon," she said to herself. "Especially when it's more than just twelve pokemon."

"Mommyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!" A tiny voice cried. A young Pichu scampered into the room and the woman picked her up. "Are the hamburgers ready yet? Munchy's trying to eat Cam's socks again."

"Ew..." the woman made a face. She glanced over at the ground beef and nodded. "Almost ready. Get your boyfriend in here."

"Kay!" Pichu chirped, jumping out of the woman's arms and running to the living room. Two Gardevoirs floated in, one with a slightly longer dress and hair length than the other, and stared at the mess. They both sighed in exasperation.

"Dinner. The one time of day where a mess must be made to satisfy the family," the Gardevoir with the longer dress and hair said.

"I know, Andromenda," the woman replied. "But no one said feeding a family was easy."

"But a family that eats together stays together, right?" the other one said, smiling.

"Of course, Gabs. Someone want to go tell Sala his rare steak is ready?"

The two Gardevoirs stared at each other and shook their heads. Sala, the woman's Salamence, was murderous and terrifying. It was even worse when he was hungry. He scared everyone in the house, except for his mistress and his mate.

"Get Lucy to do it, then," the woman instructed.

"Yes, Star," Andromenda said. Lucy was Sala's mate, a female Lucario with a lot of spunk and strength to match with Sala's brutality. She was the only one who could control the crazy dragon and have him tamed.

Before the two Gardevoirs could leave, a Lucario jumped into the room from the ceiling. "Someone call my name?"

"Ah, hey Lucy," Star said. "Go tell your crazy mate his steak is ready."

Lucy gave a big smile to her trainer and ran off. A minute later, the sounds of combat were heard and Lucy shouted, "DINNER'S READY, YOU GREAT BIG BLUE MURDERING BASTARD!"

"DAMNIT WOMAN, STOP ABUSING ME!"

More slams were heard and Star sighed. "Idiots."

Pichu ran back in again, followed by three other Pikachu. One of them was female and wore a red ribbon on her right ear (in contrast to the Pichu, who had a red ribbon on her left ear). The other Pikachus were all male and one was wearing a pimp hat, one was wearing a small black necktie and the third one had a scar running from the top of his left eye to his jaw. The female jumped up to the counter and found what she was looking for: cheese.

"Here you are, Chop Suey," she said, giving it to the Pikachu with the pimp hat.

The pimp Pikachu scowled, but said nothing. He hated his name more than anything (except his mistress who had named him the name) and preferred to be called Choppy. The only people who got away with calling him by his full name was his sister (the female Pikachu) and his niece (Pichu).

"Thank you SO much, Aquila," Choppy said sarcastically. The Pikachu with the necktie smacked Choppy with his tail and the one with the scar glared dangerously at Choppy. The pimp Pikachu shrugged and ran out. A moment later, they heard him reciting his favourite song _(I definitely give myself props! And that way I always get what I want! I always try to keep my edge with two hookers and an eight ball!) _followed by a slap. A Rapidash whinnied.

"Ya laiek mah butt, Choppy?"

"Sure do, Rida! And other parts of you, too."

"That damn pervert..." the scarred Pikachu growled. Aquila, the female Pikachu, jumped down carrying three blocks of cheese and patted the scarred Pikachu gently.

"Ignore him, Algol. He has his own likes and dislikes. Just like you do, sweetie..."

"Listen to your mother," the necktie Pikachu said. Algol turned on him and hissed angrily.

"I don't need YOU to tell me that!"

"Sorry, Chiron..." Aquila sighed. "You forgot he doesn't listen to you."

"I still want to try," Chiron desperately said.

"Momma, Daddy?" Pichu asked sweetly. "What's a hooker and an eight ball?"

"We'll tell you when you get older," Chiron and Aquila said instantly. Algol snorted in amusement. Pichu just accepted that answer and put a plate with a burger on her head. This, however, was a mistake.

"OWOWOWOWOW!" She shrieked.

"Still too hot?" Star asked. Pichu nodded and the trainer smiled. She turned to the direction of the living room and called out, "MUNCHY!! DINNER!"

That was all that needed to be said. A small, blue blurr ran in so fast that the Pikachu family hardly had time to jump out of the way. A Munchlax with a sock on his head stopped in front of Pichu and eyed the burger on her head.

"CHEESEBURGER!!"

"Share!" Star said with a strict tone. The baby pokemon were lifted on the table and they each bit into different ends of the burger at the same time. Pichu shot him a few cute looks and advanced on the burger faster, eating more than Munchy.

"Not fair! Stop being cute!" Munchy protested.

"Nope!" Pichu took another big bite out of the shared dinner. Munchy grumbled and started chomping faster like a glutton. While the two baby pokemon ate the bigger burger, a young man walked into the kitchen and put his arms around Star as she was cleaning the counters.

"WA-oh. Hey, Cam," Star said, kissing him. She spotted the baby pokemon messily eating and smiled. "Gabrielle was right. A family that eats together stays together."

* * *

**This one goes out to the one I love.**

**I love our role play. It's so much fun watching our pokemon interact with each other. It feels like a family, even if it is a fantasy. It gives me a lot of peace.**

**But I won't be doing anymore rp based themes, unless I get inspiration.**

**I have two themes to upload. The next one is a humanoid ArceusxGiratina one. Be warned: it will not be happy.**


	16. Spiral: ArceusxGiratina

**Theme: **85. Spiral  
**Pairing: **Human one sided ArceusxGiratina  
**Summary: **_"I took everything from you, but you took my heart. And now you've sent my life spiraling out of control."  
_**Rating: **T for character deaths, suicide and some sensitive stuff (well sensitive to some people)

**AN: **Based loosely on the Vocaloid Luka Megurine's song Bullet For Prisoner. (HIGHLY recommended as mood music.)

* * *

Giratina's POV

_Criminal. Pleasure seeker. Hitwoman. Killer. Laughing devil. Evil bitch._

Those were my titles. Those were what the public knew me as. I was feared, hated, ridiculed...you name it.

I am a killer. I AM a hitwoman.

My name is Giratina. I kill for money and shelter. Sometimes I am hired by people to kill other people. I took such pride in it. I truly believed I was cold blooded and had a heart of stone. I could seduce and kill within two seconds. I was just that good.

I was.

Until I met him.

He was my next target. A holy man. He didn't do anything that was suppose to get him killed, but the people who had hired me told me he refused to sell them his estate. My employers wanted to tear down the ancient hall that he used for worshiping and expand their business there. But since the target didn't want to sell, they resolved to have him killed. That's when they called me in.

_Victim. Innocent. A man of the community. Gentle God. Pure soul._

Those were his titles. That's what the public knew him as. He was respected, loved, praised...all the things opposite of me.

His name was Arceus and he was a priest. But he went far beyond his duties and was often looked at as the God of the community. He seemed to command so much respect and authority with the people. But he never abused it. He was a real ideal man who kept peace in the community.

I bet he comforted many families of people I had killed as well.

I couldn't seduce him. It was impossible. He saw right through me, or maybe I had left my gun exposed. I don't know. But as soon as he saw me, he knew who I was and why I was there.

He tried to talk me out of it. Asked me if this was really the path I wanted in life. He had shattered the laughing devil I wore on my face and left me vulnerable. The more he talked, the more feeling I had. My stone heart suddenly crumbled into sand and my blood seemed to warm up.

But I had a job to do.

My hand shook as I raised my revolver. My finger was twitching. I couldn't even look at him as he laid there in his blood. All I could think of was _what have I done? _I had killed many people before, but none of them had affected me as much as this man.

I never went to collect my salary. Instead, I went into hiding. The alleys and the back roads were my home now. But I couldn't escape Arceus. His face haunted my sleep and my waking moments. His face haunted me even during the day: his face and name was put all over the news and the whole community was in a huge uproar. The whole city said death would have been too good for his killer.

I was being tormented. Having feelings was painful but now that I had them, I couldn't discard them again. It wasn't that simple.

I couldn't kill anymore. I couldn't do this anymore.

Had I fallen in love with my target? Yes. I admit it. A man who gives an unfeeling woman emotions is a man that the woman will love before all. And my emotions came from him. He died with nothing, but in reality, he died with my heart.

If only I had met him in a different way. Maybe things would have been different. Maybe I could have been a real woman that knew how to laugh joyfully instead of sadistically. Maybe he would have loved me too.

I could only wish...

But now I'm stuck in Hell and I can't escape it. My life has spiraled out of control. I can't sleep at night and I can't do anything during the day. Arceus is in my mind and the hateful words of the city have affected me deeply.

There is only one way out now.

I went back to the place I had killed Arceus in. It was being torn down. They didn't even realize I had gone in. The wrecking ball smashed through the walls and the debris fell on top of me, crushing my body. This was followed by more heavy things. Stone, wood, bricks...it all came crashing down.

They won't find me until they clear the mess away. By then it will be too late. I will be dead like the people I killed.

Only then will I finally be at peace.

_Good bye._

_

* * *

_**I finally came up with a new name for this collection.**

**Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play Paper Mario.**


	17. Insanity: WesxRui

**Theme: **14. Insanity  
**Pairing: **WesxRui (ColosseumShipping)  
**Summary: **_I think someone's trying to take over my life...and it actually scares me when I think about what they would do to Rui.  
_**Rating: **K plus, because I like making Wes swear.  
**Sequel to: **Chapter 13 (25. Trouble Lurking)

_Wes's POV_

_It's me, Nett!_

_Please watch TV right now!_

I sighed in exasperation. Another e-mail. I thought I had caught all the shadow pokemon, but apparently this didn't mean our troubles were finished. Or at least mine, because I didn't see how this could affect Rui.

Since we were in Agate, we decided to drop in on her grandparents. They had a TV that was always tuned into the news so I could see what Nett wanted me to see.

Rui led the way, but stopped a few steps short of her grandparents' home. "Wes?"

"What?"

"Dash, the trainer in Phenac...what do you think he meant by 'you' attacking him?"

"I don't know, Rui..." I groaned. "I had just hoped this whole damn ordeal would end. I still have a life I want to live now that I'm out of Team Snagem."

Rui nodded. She didn't ask me why I had left Team Snagem and blew up the base since I took the liberty of telling her earlier in our little adventure for peace. I was starting to get suspicious of _where _all the pokemon I stole were going and Gonzap never answered me. I later overheard that they were being experimented on and it made me sick to think I was catching pokemon to be used like lab Raticates. I had no idea the real culprit was Cipher and the pokemon were being turned to shadow pokemon. In a way, taking down Cipher and Team Snagem at once was like killing two Pidgeys with one Geodude.

Eagun and Beluh welcomed us both back and we sat down to watch TV. I shot up in my seat as I stared at the image on the screen. How the HELL could this be?

The image...

it was of ME!

_"This image was sent in by a BRAT in the Under who refused to identify himself. More news at five."_

I could feel the eyes of Rui and her grandparents on me. I couldn't look at them.

"Wes..." Rui put her hand on my shoulder. "It's okay. I know it wasn't you. I've been with you since the beginning, remember? There's no way the guy on the screen is you."

"Rui, are you sure?" Eagun asked. Rui gasped and wheeled in on him.

"Grandpa! How could you say that? Wes has been working so hard to save all those shadow pokemon and you suspect him of being a criminal?"

"Dear, there's no need to get upset," Beluh said gently. "The image is disturbing," she continued, looking at the screen, "but we know Wes is innocent. Don't worry, dear. I believe you."

"Thanks, Grandma," Rui said, her anger disappearing. She turned back to me. "Wes, you haven't said anything since the news came on. Are you okay?"

"Not really, Rui..." I answered. "You know I haven't done anything, but there's still the fact someone is dressing up as me and causing trouble. I think they want me to take a fall." I stared at the screen, finally noticing something. "Rui, look at that Togetic. The accused is using a weird Togetic to attack people. You know I don't have a Togetic, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And there's more." I took out my Personal Digital Assistant and opened the e-mail Bitt sent me. It included a picture of someone dressed like me attacking Dash with a Togetic. Rui stared at it for a while before turning back to me.

"You never showed me this e-mail."

"You were in the bathroom and I didn't want to worry you," I said. "The person looks like me, so I figured it was my own problem. But now..."

"Yeah, now it's affecting the whole region," Rui said grimly.

"Pardon me, but may I see this picture?" Eagun asked. I hesitated and nodded, passing the PDA to him. He studied it for a few seconds and looked up at both of us. "Curious..."

"What's curious, dear?" Beluh asked.

"This Togetic...Togetic are normally gentle creatures. They don't fight unless they have to and they certainly wouldn't attack people. Something is wrong with this one."

My PDA went off, surprising all of us. Eagun dropped it and I picked it up, opening the new e-mail.

_ROM Analysis Complete!_

_Wes, I did it! I've completed analysis on the ROM you gave me!_

_The last shadow pokemon is Togetic!_

My eyes widened and I relayed the information to Rui and her grandparents. There was silence in the room before Rui reached a conclusion.

"That Togetic being used by your impostor has to be the last shadow pokemon!"

"And if we find this imposter, we find Togetic," I added. "But we don't have any information...we better start digging around. Let's go question Dash again."

* * *

Dash wasn't very co-operative. He asked me if I just went around attacking people for fun instead of giving us information. I answered no and he called me a liar.

I know I USED to be a bad guy, but I'm not now. Hell, I've been risking my freaking ass to round up all the shadow pokemon. I wasn't even asked. Rui dragged me along and used me for my snag machine.

...that sounds morbid. Let me take that back.

Okay, Rui didn't really ask me at first, but I couldn't stand seeing pokemon being used like this. I'm much closer to pokemon than I am other people. Don't ask why, it's not a pretty story. Let's just say half the region thinks I was an orphan with nothing but two Eevees looking out for me and Gonzap thought he could turn me into a decent snagger...and they're all right.

Rui's the only human I ever bothered to tolerate. Toleration turned to becoming friends to me suddenly feeling the need to protect her with everything I had. We had been through a lot and lived in the constant fear that Cipher could try to kill us at any minute.

How's that saying go? 'Revenge makes strange bedfellows'? Whoever said that was probably drunk, but I think they're right. Rui wants revenge for being kidnapped and for the sake of those pokemon. I wanted revenge for the pokemon, which had also turned into revenge on Gonzap for using me to catch 'lab Raticates'. Through this revenge, we got closer. That doesn't mean I want to sleep with her, though. Hell no!

_RIIIING!_

Great. Another e-mail.

_It's me, Nett!_

_Please watch TV right now!_

"Not again..." I grumbled. Rui peered over my shoulder at the PDA and also rolled her eyes.

"Maybe it has a clue, though." she said thoughtfully. We went up to the mayor's house (Trudly and Folly let us do what we want there since I beat their asses for the second time) and tuned into the news. The two idiots were also watching curiously, but they didn't say anything.

The news had a report of some assaulting people at the Outskirt Stand. It was live, which furthered my suspicions that someone really was impersonating me.

But why ME? Why does this idiot want to go around and pretend to be me?

Maybe he's insane.

Or maybe I'm the one going crazy.

Damnit, I'm furious now. I keep thinking this idiot is going to try and take over my life. And if he succeeds...I'm done. I'd be run out of Orre.

And I'd never see Rui again.

* * *

**Fuuuuuuuuuu, I butchered the ending.**

**BUT THIS WILL BE CONTINUED.**

**ALSO, I'M NEARLY AT THE HALFWAY POINT FOR ALL 100 THEMES.**

**O-M-G.**

**I need to stop doing fanfiction at school. :/**


	18. Mirror: RubyxSapphire

**Theme: **75. Mirror  
**Pairing: **RubyxSapphire (FranticShipping)  
**Summary: **_"I'M SO FAAAAAAAAAAT!"  
_**Rating: **T because Sapphire's going to curse a lot and some light sexual themes.

**AN: **-giggles evilly- I've never written a character become pregnant before, so now is a good time to try.

This was inspired by Damned Lolita's second drabble in her collection called _Challenging Situations. _While the idea is basically the same (girls becoming pregnant and tormenting the guys), I'm going to make it different so it's more in tune with Ruby and Sapphire.

**(Yellow: Section divider.)**

"GET THAT STUPID MIRROR OUT OF HERE!" Sapphire screamed. The nature girl threw her stuffed Skitty doll at her husband, who was currently wheeling a large vanity mirror into the room. The ruby eyed man dodged the doll and groaned.

"Sapphire, why? You're a girl. You need a mirror to check how your looks are every time you wake up."

"No, I do NOT!" Sapphire screeched. "You think I WANT to see how big and fat and wide and gross I'm becoming?"

"It would be good to see the progress on the baby's growth," Ruby replied calmly. "Checking out little things like that will ensure both you and the baby are staying healthy."

"FUCK OFF!" Sapphire yelled. "It's all because of this baby I can't go outside and sleep in nature and wear leaf clothes and actually do things I LIKE TO DO!"

Ruby sighed. Sapphire was always difficult, but ever since she became pregnant with his child, she raised her difficulty from 'very hard' to 'intense'. He dodged another pokedoll and walked towards his wife calmly.

"You need to start acting more like a human and less like a wild pokemon, love," he said, taking her hand and leading her away from the bed and towards the mirror. "Come here and look at you. How can you say you're ugly? I've got an eye for beauty, Sapphire," he reminded her.

"You and your stupid contests," Sapphire snapped.

"This has nothing to do with contests," Ruby replied. "Now look at yourself." He turned Sapphire so she was facing the mirror and looking right at her reflection. The coordinator couldn't also help but study how much Sapphire's body had developed in the past four months. Her breasts had grown to a large size that they looked like they could pop out of her shirt at any time. Her curves had vanished and were replaced by the large mound of their developing child. Ruby had begun to understand what his father had meant when he said pregnant woman had a certain glow of beauty that no one else had. Sapphire was pulsing with life that made her even more radiant in his eyes. He remembered the night of the baby's conception and smirked to himself. Sapphire certainly had proven how wild she was, but she was paying the price of it.

Sapphire saw none of what Ruby was seeing and she kicked the mirror. "I'M SO FAAAAAAAAT!"

"Hey, don't break it! It was expensive!" Ruby shrieked, pulling Sapphire away from the vanity.

"THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! GET IT OUT OF HERE!" Sapphire screeched. She grabbed a potted red plant that stood next to the door and threw it, spraying dirt everywhere. Ruby groaned and hurried the mirror out of the room.

"No mirrors," he said to himself. "Until Sapphire gives birth."

**(Blue: Gawd, Sapphire's crazy. Oh and section divider.)**

**Boy, I hope I don't get crazy like that when I become a mom. **


	19. Childhood: BluexSilver

**Theme: **48. Childhood  
**Pairing: **BluexSilver (ChoosenShipping)  
**Summary: **_So what if their childhood sucked? It brought them together and that was what mattered.  
_**Rating: **T, because I also like to make Silver swear and light sexual themes  
**Requested by: **Regii (my love!)

* * *

_A younger Silver stared out his bedroom window longingly. He reached up and touched the glass, feeling the cool smoothness rubs against his fingers. If only he could break it and get out..._

_"Silver?" a girl's voice asked. The young boy turned around and faced the masked girl who had walked in. The mask's face was cruel but the voice, he knew, was not. _

_"What is it, Blue?" he asked in a small voice._

_"You know you're not supposed to touch the window," she said gently, wrapping her arms around the younger boy. "He will get angry again and you'll be punished."_

_"I know...I just wish that..." Silver hiccuped, trying to wipe his eyes from under the mask he wore - the same cruel faced mask the girl was wearing. Blue didn't need him to finish that sentence; she knew what it was he wanted. _

"_You can't say things like that out loud," she scolded. "If he hears you, he'll hurt you."_

"_He's not here," Silver said. "He took some of the others and went out to the ice to train. The only one here is Will and Karen. Don't they want freedom too?"_

"_I don't know," Blue answered. _

"_I heard that, Silver…" a cold voice snapped. The children whirled around to see the imposing figure in black behind them. It was Mask of Ice. Blue pulled Silver closer to her and tried to protect him from the abuse soon to come._

"AH!"

The real Silver shot up in his bed, gasping. Sweat rolled down his face and his breath was coming and going in loud, ragged sounds. He was no longer a child, but a man of twenty two. His hair was still long and red, something he had grown accustomed to and never trimmed his hair shorter than his shoulder length. His sharp eyes reflected many years of trauma he and Blue endured in their childhood.

He sighed unhappily. Getting over the trauma that Mask of Ice inflicted on him and Blue was not going to be easy. He was only two years old when he got taken away from his family and thrust into a cold world of battling and thieving. Even though he didn't get traumatized by birds like Blue had, he had other scares. Mask of Ice had abused Silver physically and mentally.

He felt cheated that his childhood wasn't like other people's. The only one who understood that pain was Blue. That was why they chose to live together and make a new life for themselves. And why they loved each other.

Silver checked his clock. Only one thirty AM. He got out of bed, went to the bathroom and soaked his face in cool water. That shook him out of his scare and he faced his reflection.

_"I hate myself. I hate my childhood. I hate the fact I'm actually Giovonni's son. I hate...my very existence."_

The redhaired man screamed and punched the mirror. Glass flew everywhere and cut into his arm. Blood dripped down on to the sink and Silver cried out from the pain.

"Silver, no! What are you doing?" a woman's voice shrieked. A blue nightgown whipped by him and went right for the first aid kit in the cabinet above the towel racks. Blue searched frantically for the gauze bandages and also got a pair of tweezers to pick the glass out of Silver's arm.

"Blue, I..."

"Don't talk," Blue said sternly. "I need to get the shards out. For Arceus's sake, Silver, what were you thinking?"

Silver winced as Blue carefully drew out pieces of the mirror. "I was thinking about how much I hate everything. My life, my childhood, the fact I'm a syndicate boss's son...my own existence."

"Silver..." Blue suddenly stopped picking the glass pieces out. "Were you thinking of suicide?"

"No!"

"You better not be," Blue snapped, resuming her task of removing the glass shards. "You know I can't bear to lose you. You're my Silver. I need you in my life."

Silver looked away, blushing. She was the only one who could ever make him feel wanted...or guilty. Now he felt terrible for saying all those things. No matter how much he hated himself, he never denied he needed Blue.

And Blue needed him.

The Evolver finished taking out the glass shards and wrapped Silver's arm up. "There. Hopefully you'll be able to heal soon. And Silver?"

"Hm?" Silver mumbled, studying his arm.

"Our childhood did suck Ambipom balls," Blue started. "But it brought us together. Just keep looking at it that way. I will go through all those years of trauma and abuse again if it meant I could have you in my life. You mean that much to me. Don't forget that."

She held her arms out and Silver hugged her. His anger vanished with Blue's touch and he closed his eyes, close to falling asleep.

Blue yawned. "Man, I'm tired...come on, let's go to sleep."

"Yeah...alright," Silver mumbled. He and Blue walked out of the bathroom. On an impulse, Silver tugged Blue's arm and made her follow him.

"What's wrong now?" Blue said through a yawn.

Silver had a cheeky smile on his lips and a blush on his cheeks. "I had a nightmare...why don't you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Silveeeerrr..." Blue groaned, but changed her tone when she saw his cheeky grin. "Oh ho ho, I get it. Fine. You win." She followed Silver into his room, closing the door behind them.

The more time they spent together, the more they could let go of childhood. Blue and Silver had many ways of overcoming their nightmares, but the most effective one had to be when they were alone at night and no one was listening. With every movement Silver made, he let go of his memories and only focused on the one thing he wanted: a happy future with Blue.

Who knows? After tonight, they might have children to call their own and both Blue and Silver would make sure their own children's childhoods were happy and safe.

* * *

**(heart)**

**I love Choosenshipping. And I really love Regii for requesting it. This theme basically represents us as well.  
**

**-checks number of themes- OH MAI GAAAAAAAAWD. I'M AT FIFTY THEMES.**


	20. Happiness: EnteixHeatran

**Theme: **29. Happiness  
**Pairing: **EnteixHeatran  
**Summary: **_At long last, they are together. The lion and the siren tamed each other's heart. And they are happy.  
_**Rating: **K, maybe slight K plus

Note: This picks up from chapter ten. Finally, it's the conclusion of Entei and Heatran's story! Remember, the whole story is separated into different chapters and themes. If you haven't read chapter five (I Can't) and chapter ten (All that I have), I would not recommend reading this until you do.

Reminders: This is a gijikna story, so the pokemon are all humans WITH their pokemon traits (eg: Dusknoir is an oracle and has power over spirits, Gallade is a swordsman and also a teacher to his daughter and Entei is a proud lion lord of Johto, etc etc etc...).

I'll get my own SoulSilver team to section divide. (HA! Just like Regii!)

Hints to other pairings! I bet the only one who can spot them all is Regii. :)

**(Feraligatr: -eating chicken- Section divider! BURP!)**

Phione was very kind to her. When Gallade had spoken to Phione about Heatran and her incredible shyness, the young blunette went out of his way to make sure Heatran wasn't being pushed out of her comfort zone. He even allowed Dusknoir and Gallade to stay in the practice room to encourage Heatran when she needed it. Much to her adoptive parents' delight, Heatran found herself not needing them more often.

"It was as though you were born to sing, sweetie," Dusknoir said.

"You look so comfortable when you sing in front of us," Gallade added. "You will be excellent. Just remember that you have a unique power in your voice. You can charm anyone, my dearest."

"Thank you...Mother and Father..." Heatran said. Her stutter was coming out less and less now, showing she finally had more confidence in herself. After receiving such high praise for her voice from the lords of Johto, who wouldn't feel confident?

The smiles and gazes of the long haired lord were also quite encouraging. When she wasn't practicing with the music troope, Entei often came to see her. They took walks together in the courtyard and sometimes even outside the castle walls where Entei always wished he could be. Heatran had opened up to him after learning what Entei's trait was. She had discovered they both had something in common, which was fire. Entei found fire to be extremely powerful and roaring, just like him when he was in a fierce fight. Heatran, on the other hand, was attached to fire because Gallade had found her in a volcano and it was the only thing she could remember of her life before Gallade took her in. Fire was her root.

She never told Entei this. Commoners weren't even suppose to be in the castle, but if word got out she wasn't Gallade and Dusknoir's true daughter, they would believe she was a bad omen and throw her to the streets. And she didn't want to lose her parents.

Or the time she spent with Entei...

**(Pidgeot: SCRAWK! Section divider!)**

After dinner that night, Dusknoir and Gallade were summoned to Lady Lugia and Lord Deoxys' tea room. Suicune and Raikou had gone to bed early to rest up for the birthday ball that was the next day. Entei and Heatran had gone for a short moonlight walk in the garden and the troope was practicing an instrumental song at the other end of the castle.

Gallade was nervous, but Dusknoir knew what her lieges wanted. They had all noticed how close Entei and Heatran had become and the oracle knew her prediction had come true. Lord Entei had fallen in love with Heatran and Heatran was showing signs of loving him back. The question was would their lieges be furious about a noble and a commoner girl being in love? Or would they accept it?

"Gallade, Dusknoir...please sit down," Lady Lugia offered, showing the couple a chair for each of them. Gallade bowed politely before sitting and Dusknoir did the same. "Have some tea. Did you find dinner to your liking? I hope we are making you comfortable here," the lady added.

"I could not have asked for better hospitality," Dusknoir said, sipping some apple tea. "You both have been extremely kind to us and our daughter. No words can express our gratitude."

"Your words are too kind," Lugia smiled.

Deoxys sat up straight. "The reason we have called you here privately is...well, I am sure you have seen it. Our son and your daughter seem to be falling in love. I presume..." he narrowed his eyes at Dusknoir and Gallade, "...that you have seen it?"

"We would be blind not to, my lord," Gallade replied. He twiddled his fingers nervously under the table.

"Dusknoir..." Lugia started. "I had asked you to do a reading of my children's birthday ball a few days ago. Did you know this was going to happen?"

Dusknoir was silent at first and soon nodded. "My reading showed your music troope preforming and my daughter singing. I could also see his lordship Entei watching my daughter with a soft look of love. All will go well tomorrow, my lady. But our children will certainly wish to stay together after the festivities."

"Yes, we've thought of that," Deoxys spoke. "My wife is the one who has come up with a solution to that."

Gallade took Dusknoir's hand and tensed up.

"My solution..." Lugia paused. Dusknoir and Gallade held their breath. "...is to have Suicune become the new noble of Johto and allow Entei to marry Heatran."

Silence followed. Gallade blinked and Dusknoir's jaw dropped. "Truly?" the oracle asked.

"Of course. We may be nobles, but we always consider our children's happiness as well," Deoxys said.

"And, of course, we will provide them both a sum of money so they may go where they wish to begin their life together. My father did the same thing with my brother," Lugia added with a smile.

"My lieges...thank you," Gallade said, bowing his head. Dusknoir did the same, feeling more relief than she ever had in her life.

"No, it is us who should thank you," Deoxys said softly. "We have never seen our son so happy or soft like this. Heatran has changed him and shown him what it's like to love."

"He always had difficulty expressing emotions, such as love or tenderness," Lugia said. "That's why he was always called a lion. He was too proud in his strength and appearances to stop and think about his heart. And your young siren helped him find it."

"Your compliments flatter us," Dusknoir said.

"It's the truth," Lugia said with a smile. "And now, honoured guests, we must take our leave. There is much to be done tomorrow for our children...all four of them," she added, rising from her seat. Deoxys also got up and Gallade and Dusknoir quickly got out of their seats as well. "Good night to you both."

"Good night, my lord and lady," Gallade said with a bow. When their leiges left the room, the blue haired swordsman turned to his wife with a huge smile. "I must hand it to you, my love. You really are never wrong."

"Do you ever doubt me?" Dusknoir poked Gallade affectionately.

"Never." Gallade kissed Dusknoir on the cheek. "Come on, we should get some sleep as well."

"What about Heatran?" Dusknoir asked.

"She's with Entei. I know his lordship will keep her safe and bring her back inside. She's not a child anymore, my love," Gallade added. "And now that she's discovered her confidence, we should let go of her a bit."

"You're right...but I still worry about her," Dusknoir said softly.

"Why?"

"I'm her mother. It's only natural."

**(Gyarados: -roars- SECTION DIVIDER FOR MY MISTRESS!)**

As Gallade and Dusknoir prepared for sleep, Heatran was gazing up at the stars from beside Entei on a stone bench. They weren't saying anything but Heatran's small hand was resting in Entei's much bigger one and her head was on the proud lord's shoulder. They had been meeting secretly like this for the past two nights without fail after Heatran's rehearsals. Heatran was confused at first but she slowly accepted it. When she was a child, the idea of having a fire lion as a lord always terrified her but now she realized just how soft and gentle he really was. Entei had also told her she was the only one who could make him this way.

This was what really drew Heatran in.

And yet...this could be their last night together. After tomorrow, she would have to return home with Dusknoir and Gallade. The young singer was sure she and Entei would never be allowed to see each other again. Heatran sniffled and felt a lump in her throat.

"Heatran? What's wrong?" Entei asked.

"I was just thinking...this could be our final night together, my lord..." Heatran choked out. "After tomorrow night...I'll have to go home...a-and I may never see you...a-again."

_"Ah yes...I haven't told her what Mother and Father have decided to allow us to do..." _Entei thought. However, he was saving his proposal as a surprise for tomorrow night. Still, her tears bothered him...and the way she clung to his arm, afraid to let go. He was now sure she loved him the way he loved her. What could ease her pain? The lord of fire wasn't sure, since he wasn't very good with emotions, so he decided to act on his instincts.

"Heatran...may I ask you if you love me?"

"M-My lord?" Heatran asked, a little startled. She blinked some tears out from her eyes and looked at him.

"I understand if you say you don't..." Entei said, looking down. "But when I'm around you, I feel complete. You have brought out emotions I never knew before and not with your voice alone. Heatran...I need you in my life. Even if it's not allowed, I will find a way for it to work. But I must know if you feel the same about me." This was partly true. If Heatran did not love him, he would not propose. But that would certainly mean the end of his happiness.

"I-I...my lord, I..."

"Please, don't call me that," Entei interrupted. "I'm not as fond of my position as my sisters are of theirs. I like to forget what I am, especially when I'm with you."

"Then...what shall I call you by?" Heatran asked.

"Just Entei is fine, Heatran."

"It feels so strange...but okay..." Heatran took a deep breath. "I've...only known you for a short time...Entei..."

"I know. But in the two days I've known you, I've been happy...more happy than I've ever been in all the years I've been alive," Entei told her, wrapping his arms around her. "You've changed me, siren."

_"You've changed me, too." _Heatran wanted to say. But she just wrapped her arms around Entei's back and pressed the side of her head to his chest. _"I'm not that shy little girl anymore. I don't stutter as much anymore and I'm so comfortable around others. I've grown up."_

"You've not answered my question, Heatran."

Entei's statement brought Heatran out of her trance. Her silence was bothering Entei a lot. "Do you have an answer?"

"Um...w-well..."

_Say it._

"L-Lord Entei..."

_Say it!_

"I-I..."

_Please say you love me!_

"I do," Heatran said at last. She blushed bright red and buried her face in her hands. "But how could it work! I'm a commoner! I'm less than nothing! And you...you're a...a lord with great power!" Heatran burst into a flood of fresh tears.

_"Act as though nothing will change...when the truth is everything changes tomorrow. Will she kiss me?" _Entei thought. He ran his fingers through Heatran's hair - soft and red with beautiful silver highlights. The motion seemed to calm Heatran down a bit and Entei spoke again.

"If it were in my power, I would take you and run away with you from everything..." Entei said.

"I would love that so much," Heatran whispered.

The fire lord smiled. "You're not less than nothing, my beautiful siren. You're more than everything." He brought Heatran's face up to his and kissed her lips softly.

**(Venomoth: Poisonous section divider! Don't touch it!)**

The sun rose in the east, bringing a new day to the Johto region. Servants were already awake and rushing around to prepare for the big party that would take place later on in the day. Cleaners were everywhere with their various cleaning tools and some of the maids were carefully decorating the grand ballroom. The cooks were hard at work with baking a huge cake and getting dinner ready, even though it was still early. But with so many guests expected, they couldn't afford to waste anytime.

The music troope had pulled Heatran out from sleep to practice early. She hardly had time to eat breakfast before Phione came in the dining room and whisked her to their practice room. They whole troope practiced for several hours without stopping for a break until Heatran's voice began sounding tired. The troope leader called for practice to end so Heatran could rest her voice for the real performance later. When Heatran left the room, Lady Lugia was waiting for her with her daughters.

"Hello, Heatran," the silver lady greeted the singer with a smile. Suicune and Raikou both had excited looks on their faces. "How was practice?"

"Good..." Heatran whispered. She suddenly bowed and said in a loud whisper, "I'm sorry, my lady. I've been told by Phione not to use my voice until tonight. We've practiced for so long that my throat was beginning to get sore."

"I understand..." Lugia looked at her daughters with a cheeky grin. "This leaves you no room to protest what's next for you."

Heatran looked up with wide eyes. "My lady?"

"Come on!" Suicune grabbed Heatran's hand and Raikou grabbed the other one. "It's time to get you fitted for a dress for tonight!"

"And we have GOT to pick out some jewelery and accessories for you as well!" Raikou gushed.

"Go easy on the singer now, girls," Lugia warned.

"We will," the sisters said. "Come on, Heatran!" Suicune and Raikou dragged her off to another room down the hall and Lugia followed them. She had to supervise the fitting. Dusknoir was already waiting in the dressing room.

"Ooh, I know!" Raikou squealed. "You would look beautiful with something silver! It would match the highlights in your hair!"

"No way, Raikou!" Suicune snapped. "It has to be red! The colour of love and passion!"

"Silver!"

"Red!"

"SILVER!"

"RED!"

"Um..." Heatran put up her hand to speak. "Why don't we try a bit of both?" she asked timidly.

"A clever idea, Heatran," Lugia said. "What do you think, Dusknoir?"

"Let's try a bit of everything," Dusknoir said. "There's a huge pile of dresses here. I'm sure we will find the right one for my daughter."

Suicune and Raikou dove for the dress pile and Heatran stood back awkwardly. She had never done anything like this before and shirked back when the two sisters pounced on her with separate dresses, each urging her to try 'this one' first.

"I said to go easy on her, girls!" Lugia said in a strict tone. "Here. Heatran, why don't you look in the dresses and find something you think you'll like?"

"Okay..." Heatran said uncertainly. She went past Suicune and Raikou and searched the dresses a bit more neatly. "How about this?" she asked, holding up a black dress with a chiffon shawl.

The four other women in the room stared at her choice and shook their heads. "Black suits me, sweetie, but not you," Dusknoir said. "You need something to bring an uplifting mood to your audience. Something a bit brighter."

"I agree," Lugia said. "No black."

"How about this?" Raikou held up her choice. It was a long yellow dress that had sleeves stopping at the elbows, but the material went as far down as the floor.

"Too drippy," Suicune said. "She'd look more suited for a child's birthday party, not a coming of age ball! Try this!" The lady of water held up her choice, a long blue dress with no sleeves and a slit up the side for the leg to show through.

"Blue and red?" Raikou shot back. "That's like fire and ice!"

The two sisters began to argue and Lugia sighed. She searched through the dresses and came up with a white dress that had been hemmed with lace.

"Almost like a bride..."

"No," Dusknoir called. "This is a birthday ball, not a wedding ceremony. I believe colour would be better than white."

The five women worked through the pile of dresses, but it took a long time before all of them were finally satisfied with the final choice. It was Heatran's pick: a beautiful red dress that had a black V going far down her back and a small slit up both sides that went up to only the kneecaps. The dress was accessorized with some silver dewdrop shapes and it was sleeveless, but modest on the chest area. Heatran gazed at her reflection longingly and the other four women were making a fuss.

"It's PERFECT!" Raikou squealed.

"Simply amazing!" Suicune added.

"It suits you just right, dear," Lugia said.

"They're right. You look like a siren of fire, sweetie," Dusknoir added.

"I love it," Heatran declared. "It looks perfect!"

"Wonderful! Now for the next step!" Lugia announced. She brought in a short blond woman who was being followed by a young girl. The girl mirrored the woman in looks and Heatran guessed they were mother and daughter.

"This is Aquila," Suicune announced. "She's the castle's hair dresser!"

"And this is her cute daughter, Pichi!" Raikou giggled and tickled the little girl. Pichi squealed with delight.

Aquila smiled and bowed her head at Heatran. "It is an honour to meet you. I shall be fixing your hair up for tonight, miss Heatran."

"Oh...okay," Heatran smiled nervously. She wasn't used to this kind of attention. Aquila walked over and ran her fingers through Heatran's hair gently. She frowned a bit.

"This will take some time, my lady. She should have a full conditioning before I can use any brushes."

"It's alright," Lugia said. "Heatran, you and my daughters should all have a bath to be cleaned for tonight. During that time, Aquila will wash all of your heads and then style your hair."

Heatran flushed but the sisters didn't seem to notice. The trio went into the bathing room of the castle with Aquila following them (Aquila's husband, a soldier named Chiron, came to take their daughter into town for a while). Heatran removed her dress and put it on one of the hooks and the other two did the same. Aquila ran the water in the large, spring-like tub and the three went right in.

"So soothing..." Suicune sighed. Raikou purred out her agreement and Heatran only nodded. Aquila approached them with a bottle of strange, sweet smelling stuff and poured it on each of their heads. She then massaged their heads until they were soapy and bubbly.

"Now close your eyes and nose, girls," the blond instructed. She poured a bucket of warm water over their heads and repeated until all the bubbles were gone. Heatran looked at her red hair that was damp from all that water. She had never done something like this before. Her hair smelled sweet and clean.

They continued to splash around until it was time to dry off. Dusknoir had come in to help prepare Heatran for her big night, which was fast approaching. She was getting nervous.

"Dusknoir..."

"What happened to Mother?" Dusknoir asked her.

"Sorry..." Heatran mumbled. "I'm getting nervous. Practising was one thing, but I'm going to be in front of so many others...I don't know if I can do this."

"Sweetie..." Dusknoir sighed. "It's too late to say no now. You've come so far. And what about all the praise Lady Lugia and Lord Deoxys gave you? Both of them know you can do this or they wouldn't have picked you."

Heatran looked down at the floor and sighed to herself. Dusknoir picked up a hint and asked, "Is it because of Lord Entei?"

"N-No!" Heatran said quickly.

"Sure it is..." Dusknoir shrugged. "Sweetheart, we've seen how you are around him. You love the man, don't you?"

Heatran blushed but didn't say anything. Aquila strolled in and started brushing her hair, trying to shape it just right. She finally parted Heatran's hair so some of it flowed down her shoulders and the rest of it flowed down her back.

"Lovely!"

"Perfect," Dusknoir said with a nod of approval. Heatran looked at herself in the mirror and nodded.

"Thank you."

"Not a problem. Good luck tonight, dear," Aquila said with a beautiful smile. She left the room and Heatran faced her adoptive mother again.

"Do I really look beautiful?"

"If I say yes, will you believe me?" Dusknoir asked. Heatran nodded. "Yes, sweetie, you look stunningly beautiful. And tonight you are going to shine."

_It's time to face the music._

**(Espeon: Seeeection diviiiiiiiiideeeer.)**

Nobles and rich people were crowded in the ball room. Entei felt like he would snap. All the pressure and the praises for 'finally coming of age' was annoying him. He couldn't wait to grab Heatran and whisk her away forever.

"Congratulations, lord Entei!" the lunar lady, Cresselia, gushed. "It must feel wonderful to finally become a man. Tell me, what are your plans for the Johto region now?"

"I can't disclose that, lady Cresselia," Entei replied stiffly, hoping she would go away. "Ideas like that aren't meant to be shared."

"Oh..." Cresselia blinked. "Not even a _teeny tiny _hint?"

Entei shook his head and the woman pouted. "Truly you must have something to talk about."

"I'm sorry...I don't," Entei said. "I'm not a very good conversationalist."

"Well, could you tell me a little about the troope that will play tonight?"

_"Damnit, woman, go away!" _Entei thought. He put on an irritated face and groaned. "We weren't allowed to listen to their practicing. You'll have to find out when they perform."

Cresselia opened her mouth to say something else, but the lights dimmed. The dimming lights meant it was time for dinner and the entertainment. Lady Kyogre, the 'woman of the oceans' from Hoenn, was the first to make her way to the dining table near the stage. Her husband, the 'man of continents' followed her and their three children were forced to follow suit (although Regirock, the titan of rocks, made it clear he wanted to sit close to lady Uxie). Entei, grateful for the escape, took his seat at the head of the table with his parents and sisters. He noticed Raikou's hand was clutching Zapdos's hand and they were smiling at each other. Suicune was engrossed in a conversation with a man who had pink dreadlocks (_"What the hell," _Entei thought) and he guessed that man was Mesprit, the spirit of emotions from Sinnoh. Entei desperately wished that Heatran was with him, but he knew she wasn't allowed at the table. Stupid rules and customs.

At least he would be able to hear her sing again.

The food was brought out and all the guests dug in. After the first ten minutes, the musical troope took their place on the stage. Heatran was the last to go onstage and stood in front of the instrument players with her hands over her chest. They began playing a harsh opening to a song and Heatran began to sing.

_We used to swim...the same moonlight waters..._

_Oceans away...from the wakeful day..._

A few forks clattered and some of the nobles stopped eating to listen to Heatran's beautiful voice. She had her eyes closed and was lost in the music. Entei himself shoved his plate aside and stared up at the siren who stole his heart with a longing expression.

The music and the eating continued until it was _finally _time for dancing. Entei stayed in his seat while other couples and his sisters got up to dance. Even his parents were acting like teenagers in love and dancing arm in arm. The only other two nobles not dancing were ladies Regice and Registeel from Hoenn. Both of them seemed to be eying Phione and Phione's older brother, Manaphy, who acted as a manager for the troope.

The dancing carried on until the troope was allowed a break. The two Hoenn ladies approached the brothers from the troope and began to engage in a conversation with them. Heatran went to a chair on the other side of the room and sat down with relief. Entei quickly followed her.

"You're doing beautifully, Heatran. Better than anyone that could have sang tonight."

"You think so?" Heatran asked. "I never thought my singing was beautiful."

"But it is. Everyone's ears are all bending towards you, siren," Entei assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Heatran blushed and blinked. "Heatran, you do duets, right?"

"Of course. Father and I have always practiced together," Heatran replied.

"Would you consider singing with me?" Entei asked. Heatran's eyes widened. "I know the perfect song as well..._the Beauty and the Beast _song."

"I know that song!" Heatran exclaimed.

"Then will you sing with me?" Entei asked. "It is my birthday ball and I'd like to do something big and wonderful tonight."

_Besides asking you to marry me._

Heatran slowly nodded. "I can't say no to you. But I would love to sing with you."

"Wonderful!" Entei said. "I'll go speak with Phione. You just rest for now," he added, leaving Heatran on her chair and approaching the younger of the two brothers. He apologized to Regice for interrupting and asked Phione about his idea.

"Sure," Phione said. "We're here to entertain in any way you and your sisters want us to, Lord Entei. Our break ends in a few more minutes. Will that be acceptable?"

"Of course," Entei said. "And now I take my leave." He bowed his head and went back to the table. He sipped his water, hoping it would refresh his throat.

_The lion and the siren. Singing together. Only the oracle could have foreseen such an event._

When the troope went back to the stage, Entei steeled his nerves and went with them. He didn't dare to take Heatran's hand (that would have been TOO forward), but he made sure to stay right beside her. Whispers began to float around and Entei caught a few words of what was said. Most of them weren't kind.

It didn't matter. Only a few more hours of this and he would escape this life forever.

Phione announced Lord Entei wanted to sing and didn't delay the song. The harsh opening chords of the violin began to play and the nobles danced. The appropriate response to the lovely, but dark, music that flooded the ball room.

_"Remember that first dance we shared? Recall the night you melted my ugliness away?" _Entei sang. _"The night you left with a kiss so kind. Only a scent of beauty left behind."_

_"Ah dear friend, I remember the night," _Heatran responded. _"The moon and the dreams we shared. Your trembling paw in my hand...dreaming of that northern land...touching me with the kiss of the beast!"_

_"I know my dreams are made of you," _Entei continued. He never thought he could sing, but his deep voice sounded great with Heatran's. _"Of you...and only for you. Your ocean pulls me under. Your voice tears me asunder! _("And that was totally true," he thought.) _Love me before the last petal falls!"_

_"As a world without a glance of the ocean's fair expanse, such the world would be if no love did flow in thee! But as my heart is occupied, your love for me now has to die! Forgive me, I need more than you can offer me!" _Heatran sang loudly.

This was a mistake. Even though it was following the song's lyrics, Heatran didn't realize what she innocently unleashed. The thought of Heatran being with anyone else and his love for her having to die sent Entei into a growling rage. It frightened her, yet made her curious. What was he doing?

Meanwhile, Entei was losing himself. He remembered that it was _only a song, _the same song he wanted to sing with her. He managed to get out the next lyrics. _"Didn't you read the tale...where happily ever after...was to kiss a frog?" _The music got louder, but so did Entei's voice. _"Don't you know this tale...in which all I ever wanted...I could never have...for who could ever learn...to love...a beast?"_

The haunting violin music moved everyone deeply. Heatran stood still and then nodded, almost as if she understood what he was saying to her. To the nobles, it might have been an act, but this was real. She took his hand and sang the next words.

_"However cold the wind and rain...I'll be there to ease all your pain! However cruel the mirrors of sin...remember beauty is found within...!"_

Entei calmed down, but he still had the look of a lion. _"Forever shall the Houndoom in me...desire the Mareep...in you..." _Damnit. That look she was giving him was driving him nuts. Oh how badly he wanted to kiss her...! And he didn't care who was watching. It was as if no one else existed anymore.

As the music continued playing the instrumental part of the song, the two singers looked at each other with longing in both their eyes. Heatran felt both scared and excited by these emotions that the fire lord stirred up inside of her. It had to be love...it was no mere fantasy.

The song finally ended after two minutes. Now was Entei's chance. It was time to make the announcement that would change his and Heatran's lives forever. Just before Phione could call for another song, the fire lord put his hand up to stop him. "I'd like to thank you, Phione, but I have a big announcement to make."

Heatran tilted her head. _"What could it be?" _she wondered.

Entei stood up straighter, but he still held onto Heatran's hand. The nobles stared at the pair on the stage and Entei cleared his throat. "Today is my birthday. The day I and my sisters were born into the world. As I've come of age today, I'm certain that many of you expected me to take over my father's position and rule over Johto. But I won't." The nobles, except for his mother and father, gasped. Heatran's eyes widened again, but Entei wasn't finished. "I resign my position," he said. "All for one person and one person only..." he turned to Heatran. "Siren..." he began and changed his mind. "No, Heatran...the girl with the siren's voice. With your song, you woke up my heart and gave me emotions. Now I am enslaved by the spell your voice has wrapped me in. Heatran...will you marry me?"

"WHAT?" an outraged roar came from the back of the room. Sir Palkia, a member of the Sinnoh royal family, was the father of the three pixie teenagers and an angry man. "Noble blood should not mix with filthy commoner blood! Lugia, Deoxys, you're not actually going to allow him to marry this dirt, are you?"

"I care about my son's happiness," Lugia shot back. "He is free to make whatever choice he wants to!"

"Choices?" Palkia roared. "We were born into a life of responsibilities and high status! We don't GET choices!"

"That's tough," Deoxys answered. "For you. But we're not you." He turned to the stage. "Heatran, if you accept, you have my full blessings!"

"And mine!" Lugia called.

Palkia was still red in the face. Raikou noticed this and grinned. "Hey sir Palkia!" she yelled. "It's no wonder now why your daughter eloped without notice! You wouldn't have given her her right to be happy!" The whole room went silent and Raikou glared. "I love my brother! And I want him to do what he wants to do!"

"So do I!" Suicune called. "Just like how I want to be with YOUR son!"

"Father..." Mesprit said. "I'm not going to listen to this. We've been friends with the Johto family for years. How dare you try and start something on such an important night?"

"I-"

"Say nothing. As of tonight, Suicune and I are engaged," Mesprit said. "And we will merge the kingdoms of Johto and Sinnoh as one. For once I shall make the choices...the same choices I was never allowed to make growing up," he added scornfully. "When Suicune and I are married, the titles will rightfully come to us. That cannot change, Father."

"You...I...BAH!" Palkia stormed out of the room. His wife, Dialga, hurried after him, but not before mouthing _I'm sorry _to whoever was watching. Silence filled the room and Heatran took a timid step forward.

"I haven't announced my answer yet..." she said quietly. The crowd of nobles turned their attention back to the stage. Even the musical troope had their eyes on her and she took a deep breath. "I...I will marry you," she said at last. Her heart pounded so fast, she feared it was going to jump out of her chest. But she felt overflowed with emotions that it felt she would burst from it.

Entei felt exactly the same. As the nobles burst into applause, he wrapped his arms around his siren, leaned in and kissed her passionately. The rest of the night was celebrated in peace with many more songs from the sweet siren and the fire lord. Their love was powerful and as real as the heat in a volcano.

At long last, they are together. The lion and the siren tamed each other's heart. And they are happy.

**(Dragonite: Final Section divider! MAH BOI!)**

**...**

**H-holy crap. After one month of summatives, procrastination, brain food, role plays with my lover and the like, i-it's actually DONE. I can't believe how good this turned out. WOW. **

**I'm almost gonna miss writing it. This pairing and world has grown on me.**

**But fear not! My love, Regii, has informed me I inspired him to write his own gijinka story based on **_**this world and this story. **_**I'm so excited! Warning: it will contain a yuri pairing. But still.**

**(HA! NOW THAT I'VE ANNOUNCED IT, YOU HAVE TO GET IT DONE, LOVE! ;DDD)**

**This theme wins for being the longest theme at over 5000 words and eleven pages long, not counting author's notes. Don't worry, I don't think it will happen again.**

**Whew. It took me almost all day to finish it. So be sure to review!**

**PS: I'm gonna go back and edit a few chapters for lack of dividers and a few errors I've only NOW caught. **

**PPS: Song lyrics used are part of Ghost Love Score and Beauty and the Beast by Nightwish. I don't own! Also, I've always pictured Heatran's voice to be like Tarja's. :D  
**


	21. Out Cold: BlackxWhite

**Theme: **84. Out Cold  
**Pairing: **BlackxWhite (ChessShipping)  
**Summary: **_"I swear, if one more fucker hits on her, I'm going to kill."  
_**Rating: **T TO THE EXTREME. Language, sexual implications, innuendo, violence.

**AN: **Oh Gawd I love this pairing. Black and White look so awesome. ;D I know that these are their fan given names only, but I prefer these kind of names over Nintendo's official names (I still call Ethan Gold and I like using the names Red, Blue and Leaf. I'm pretty sure that these will be the manga names anyway).

The fact that they're both older than the average hero/heroine in pokemon games pretty much means it's so easy to put them in 'mature' situations. Which is what I'm doing.

**MOOD MUSIC: **Next Contestant - Nickelback

* * *

Black considered himself a cool and collected type of guy. He rarely lost his temper and his girlfriend, White, had never once seen him mad. He always thought problems had better solutions than anger and he never raised his fists once. In short, Black was what everyone called a nice guy.

White adored that trait. She thought Black was the most sensitive guy in the Isshu region and considered herself lucky for dating a nice guy instead of a jerk. She thought they were perfect together. He was smart, caring and careful while she was outgoing, bold and fun loving. They both provided aspects they lacked in themselves and went together as well as two halves of a whole.

Not to mention they were both good looking teens. The sight of them together was enough to make a few people jealous.

Especially guys.

White loved her short shorts, small tops and vests. They were light and cool, which felt good for traveling through the warmer areas. Unfortunately, they were also revealing.

_Very _revealing.

Black wasn't the only one who liked White's sense of style. The male trainer was getting annoyed that he and his girlfriend couldn't go anywhere without some jerk hitting on her. He tried to play it cool, knowing White would never cheat on him (he trusted her completely), but when they started to get grabby, Black would feel himself lose his cool.

Tonight was no different. Black had taken White to her favourite hangout spot in Hiun City: the Morning Sun teen club. They sipped some drinks and jammed out to the music and White even put a request in for what she considered hers and Black's love song (Gotta be Somebody). They danced and had some enlightening conversations when their feet were too tired to continue. The night was going perfectly, except for something Black noticed. A lot of people were staring at White and how much leg and cleavage she was showing. White seemed totally oblivious to it or she was trying to ignore it.

Black felt uncomfortable. He knew if he turned his back on White for one second, some asshole was going to try coming on to her. That would ruin the whole night. When White suddenly stood up to check the next song at the DJ stand, Black felt a stab of panic. He got up to follow her, but he was too late.

"Hey sweetheart, what's a sexy girl like you doing with a loser?" an older teen asked White.

"What loser?" White asked.

"I'm talking about that dork with the hat and the baggy clothes who should be at home in bed instead of out here where it's cool people only," the guy said. He reached out and stroked White's thigh and White jerked away.

"That's my boyfriend. So screw off."

"Aw come on!" the teen protested. Black came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. The teen whirled around and stared into Black's dark and angry eyes.

"Are you bothering my girlfriend?"

"I wasn't bothering her, kid. I was offering her a chance to be with a real man."

"I'm not a kid." Black gritted his teeth. "Obviously she doesn't want to be with you, so leave her alone."

The teen stared at Black and laughed. "That's the best you've got? What if I don't want to leave her alone? What if I decide to show the babe what a wuss her boyfriend is?"

"Black, let's go..." White tugged his arm. Black took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah, let's. It's not worth it to take on this idiot." Black led White back to their table and left the other guy laughing. White sat down with a sigh and Black had his fists clenched.

"Come on, Black, cheer up..." White said, putting her hand on his. Black still didn't relax, which bothered White. "Black, what's wrong?"

"White, I'm sick of all these guys trying to hit on you. This happens all the damn time," Black said. "I know you don't respond to them, but..."

"Hey sweetie, can I buy you a drink?" Another guy came to their table and was leering at White. White shook her head.

"No thanks. Save your money."

"Not even the expensive stuff?" the guy pushed. White glared up at the next contestant.

"I said no. That means no."

"But..."

"Listen, buddy." Black stood up. White saw he was losing his cool and winced. "Are you seriously that thick? She said no. That means leave her alone."

"Hey, chill man!" The teen put his hands up. "Nothing wrong with offering to buy a drink for a lady now, is there? I'm just being nice! No need to have a Tauros!"

"If she wants a drink, I'll buy it for her. Now fuck off," Black spat.

"Calm down!" the teen snapped. Black completely lost his cool at that. The male trainer pulled his fist back and...

"Black, don't!" White cried. "You don't want to get into trouble!" Black stopped just in time. The other teen snickered and walked away.

"You lost out, sweetie!" he called. White ignored him and sighed again.

"That was close...Black, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about actually defending you instead of trying to use words," Black answered. "Trying to be reasonable never works."

"Black..." White said softly. "You're sweet, but don't. I don't want you getting into trouble because of me."

"It's not trouble," Black said, but White shook her head.

"We'll get kicked out and banned from here, Black."

Black shrugged. He ordered both him and White another drink (virgin margaritas) and sat down to cool off. White sat next to him and put an arm around him. Even though she was whispering how much she loved him and how she thought he was the greatest, Black still couldn't find his cool.

_"I swear, if one more fucker hits on her, I'm going to kill."_

Their drinks arrived and White happily sipped hers. Black downed half of his in an attempt to calm down, but he was still paranoid. The guys in the room still hadn't taken their eyes off of White, even though she had her arm wrapped around Black's and was cuddling him. Black smiled at White, finding her so incredibly cute. She seemed to know how to calm him down, even though this was the first real time she had seen him angry.

It wasn't going to last.

Another teen decided to try his hand at taking White home with him. This one looked rich and arrogant and he sure acted like it. He walked over, rudely pushing Black off his stool and grinned at White.

"So, lovely, your place or mine?"

"Both. You go to yours and I'll go to mine," White said with disgust.

"Oh come now, I know you'd love a chance to be with me. Lots of girls do. And you're pretty enough for me to be interested in you," the guy said.

"Joy," White said sarcastically. "Should I feel honoured or pissed off?"

"Honoured, of course. I don't often pick girls out."

"Forget it," White said. She got off her stool to help Black up, but the teen grabbed her and held her by the waist. "Hey, let go!"

"All girls protest. They'll find out they want it sooner or later. And I'll even buy you nice things. How's that sound?" the teen smirked.

"She's going to have to decline your generous offer," Black snarled. He stood up and cracked his knuckles. Enough was enough. He had to stand up for his girlfriend and prove to everyone White was HIS and not theirs for the taking.

"Black, don't do it!" White cried. For once, Black didn't listen to her. He was so mad that he couldn't see straight. White quickly ducked out of the way and Black slammed his fist into the other guy's nose. Blood poured out from the nostrils, but Black didn't stop. The guy quickly let go of White to try and stop the bleeding, but he left himself completely open. Black reared back and punched the guy in the head. The force was so strong, it sent the guy to the ground and knocked him out cold. The dark eyed trainer glanced around the room to see everyone staring at him in shock and he smirked.

"Anyone else want to try?"

"Black..." White whispered. She was shaking.

"Come on, White, let's get out of here," Black said. White nodded and the couple left the Morning Sun. Once outside, White flung herself at Black and hugged him tightly.

"You scared me. Don't do that again..."

Black held her as well, but he was still smiling smugly. White didn't notice it and kept talking. "What if he struck back? You could have gotten hurt. Black, please say you won't do that again."

"Alright..." Black said. He wiped the smile off his face long enough to tilt White's face up and kiss her. "I'm sorry I scared you. It won't happen again."

White smiled brightly. "Thanks, Black. I love you."

"I love you too, White. Come on, I'll walk you home," Black said and they headed out. Thankfully, it was dark enough so White couldn't see Black's smile return. It was the only time he ever lied to her, but it was necessary. Black was already planning on hitting the next asshole who ever tried hitting on White or trying to pick her up.

He had to protect his girlfriend after all.

* * *

**This is a shout out to all the boyfriends out there who can relate to Black. If you really care for your girl, stand up for her! I once had a boyfriend who didn't do it for me when his best friend hit on me and it sparked a lot of mistrust between us that ended our relationship. Thankfully, it's no longer the case. (Love you, Regii!)**

**I've got some other ideas for future themes. One of them that I want to do is a continuation of a oneshot I wrote called **_**The Demon and the Harlot **_**with the theme **_**39. Dreams. **_**Gijinka, obviously, and with MOAR AzelfxDarkrai! **

**REVIEW.**


	22. Tears: RedxYellow

**Theme: **26. Tears  
**Pairing: **RedxYellow (SpecialShipping)  
**Summary: **_People cry when they're sad. People cry when they're laughing. But she's crying for a different reason...  
_**Rated: **K for kuteness. Okay, that was lame.  
**Warning: **Absolute heart melting fluff ahead.

**AN: **IkarishippingFreak requested either an IkariShipping or a SpecialShipping theme. I will say this again, I haven't watched the anime since I was ten, so IkariShipping is definitely out. However, SpecialShipping is my manga OTP and I already had an idea for Red and Yellow. So here it is!

Slightly based off an RP with Regii. This scene was never actually role played out between us, but it was a thought that occured sometime in May. I've always wanted to see this happen anyway. :P

Ages: Red is twenty five and Yellow is twenty three.

* * *

_"Red sure is going all out tonight..." _Yellow thought. Her boyfriend of five years had insisted on taking her to an expensive restaurant and made sure she was wearing a slim and beautiful black evening gown. Some of her mother's jewelery was taken out of hiding to wear tonight, since Yellow didn't own any of her own. The pretty Healer wondered why tonight, of all nights, Red decided to splurge like an upperclassman when they normally just had regular dinners at home or among other trainers. But thanks to the Battler's connections, they were dining at _Chez Moonlight, _a ritzy and expensive place where only the Gym Leaders and elite battlers were allowed. Yellow felt a knot in her stomach. She felt so out of place here. This place was so glamorous, it didn't even have prices on the menu!

Right across the table, Red was smiling at her. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo and it was making Yellow feel weak in the knees. Oh Arceus, why did she have to love him so much? He made her feel like a lovesick teenager, even though they were both in their twenties now. Too old to be feeling like teenagers but not ready to believe their lives would be spent together forever.

"How's dinner, Yellow?"

"It's pretty good, Red," Yellow replied. Red reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. Yellow smiled at him and stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. "I never imagined we would be here, of all places. It's so classy."

"Hey, I like treating you like a queen. Isn't that my job?" Red teased.

"Well...maybe. But you know how I am," Yellow said. She didn't act like the type of woman who expected her man to provide her with jewels and fancy dinners every few nights. She was content just being with Red and letting her love for him grow stronger. They could be themselves around each other and that was the greatest gift of all.

"I know, I know...but there's nothing wrong with wanting a taste of glam, right?" Red asked.

"Of course not, Red," Yellow replied. "I like seeing the other gym leaders here as well." She glanced at Falkner and Janine, who were engrossed in a long conversation that didn't seem like it had to do with either of their fathers. Janine looked radiant out of her ninja suit and in evening wear and Falkner had the look in his eyes that showed he appreciated her appearance. On their other side was Morty, who was with Erika and impressing her with a flower. Even the Johto leaders, Jasmine and Clair, were there with two other dex holders. Jasmine was laughing at the stunts and tricks of Emerald from Hoenn and Clair was whispering to Pearl of Sinnoh. It was strange being around them, but it felt reassuring.

Dinner carried on without much conversation, which felt odd to Yellow. She could sense a bit of tension between her and Red and she wasn't sure why. She knew he was looking at her but whenever she looked up at him, he would turn away and look elsewhere. His face was going from its normal peachy colour to a light pink and he was acting flustered and...nervous? Yellow was sure something was wrong. Red never acted nervous and he hardly ever blushed. He was always cool and confident, no matter the situation. Something just had to be wrong.

Near the end of the meal, Yellow was nervous herself. Red seemed to be avoiding every chance at a conversation and they hadn't looked each other in the eye since Red asked Yellow how her dinner was. Yellow felt Red was deliberately trying to ignore her. The fancy dinner...the tension...was this suppose to be Red's way of saying good bye and it was over? She pushed her empty plate away, hardly tasting the last few bites of her food. She didn't notice the lights above them were dimming and a slow song began to play from the speakers above.

_It might not be...the right time...I might not be...the right one..._

_But there's something about us...I've got to say...cuz there's something between us anyway..._

"Yellow...there's something I want to ask you," Red said quietly.

Yellow bit her lip. This was it. He was going to ask her if they could break up. That had to be it, right?

"We've been together for a really long time now...as friends and as a couple," Red continued.

Of course they had. They had first met when she was nine and he was eleven and had always shared a close bond with him. What was he playing at? Was he saying they had been together for way too long and it was time to start seeing other people?

"And I know you're someone I can trust with my life," Red added. What tipped him off? When she was eleven, Yellow had risked her life, as well as her pokemon, to fight Lorelei, Agatha and Lance to rescue him. She had gone through Green's training, several unwanted battles and encounters with the Shitenou and even broke her arm for him. She had done a lot for him. Still, Yellow said nothing. She just waited for the final blow that would end the night and everything they ever had.

To her surprise, Red got out of his chair and circled the table so he was in front of her. He knelt down and took her hand. Yellow became acutely aware everyone in the dining area was watching them and she blushed. What was going on?

Red reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Yellow's heart began to beat quickly when she realized what it was: _it was a ring box. _The Battler opened it up to reveal a beautiful heart shaped ruby ring with a tiny topaz jewel in the center. Yellow had no doubts what it was. It was an engagement ring and the jewels Red had selected represented both him and Yellow. The Healer's lips began to tremble and tears threatened to fall as she realized all the reasons for Red's nervousness and the tension tonight. She already knew the question before Red could even ask it and knew what her answer was going to be.

"Yellow, you're the love of my life and the only one I want to be with forever. Will you marry me?"

Yellow's hands rose up to her mouth and she felt her breath hitch up. This was real. It was actually happening. The tears that had threatened to fall earlier suddenly spilled out of her eyes and ran down her face.

"Yellow? You're crying! Did I do something wrong?" Red asked in a panic.

"N-No Red...these are happy tears!" Yellow cried. "Red, of course I will marry you! You make me so happy and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you!"

Red didn't hesitate. He slipped the ring over Yellow's left ring finger and Yellow leapt right into his arms. The entire dining area, including the waiters, burst into applause and cheered as Red's lips captured Yellow's in a kiss that held a promise of a lifetime of love.

_I love you more than anyone in my life..._

* * *

**-melts-**

**God I love SpecialShipping. ;_;**


	23. Deep in Thought: DarachxCaitlin

**Theme: **52. Deep In Thought  
**Pairing: **DarachxCaitlin (ValetShipping)  
**Summary: **_"I wonder what Lady Caitlin thinks about? She's so quiet when she watches the battles..."  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **OH DAMNIT. Another under appreciated pairing I now love. This is one of my newest Frontier loves, except for LucyxBrandon (royal loooove).

I was requested to do a CommonerShipping by mochicocoa and I will do it. But I wanted to get this out of my head first. I also have an idea to do a KrisxGold/EthanxLyra tale with the theme _16. Questioning. _It's a complicated story I need to get straight before I can write, so the CommonerShipping might take a bit of time. It depends on how my mind decides to work.

* * *

She hardly speaks. When she does, it's with a few tense words that she seems afraid to utter. She sits on her throne high above the battle area and watches the battles with such an intensity that startles even the Valet. Her lovely green eyes spark with joy when two trainers enter and begin their battle. Her delicate chin rests in her hand and her mouth curves upward as she smiles thoughtfully.

Darach knows all of this by heart. He has been by Lady Caitlin's side since she was only eleven and he was thirteen. They had gone on their own journey together and returned when Caitlin's mother and father wanted their little princess to take over their battling facility. However, Caitlin's spark for battling had disappeared and she no longer wanted to battle. Darach was the only one who knew why...she was afraid of failure. If she lost, this meant she wasn't up to par with her opponent and she would feel she wasn't worthy to even be the lady of the Battle Castle. Such a reason only happened when Lady Caitlin went up against the Elite Four with confidence...but she lost.

So Darach had promised to take over the duty for her. She would be his mistress and employer (which was fine by him, since he could earn money and still stay by Caitlin's side) and he would do the duty she was afraid of doing.

He was the only one who knew who the real Caitlin really was. Not the girl behind the title of 'Lady', but the girl who had insecurities and a problem with her confidence...even though she never showed it.

He always kept an eye on her...he had to, even though they were both much older now. He was her butler and friend.

And she was always on his mind.

Darach stayed in the shadows as the battles were waged. He studied Caitlin and noted every little detail of her: how she sat, how she looked down at the battle below her and the emotions she displayed on her face. She seemed to keep her face frozen in an emotionless mask all the time and it was difficult to understand what was going on in her mind. Darach wished, if only for a moment, he could find out why she was so deep in thought all the time. What was the Lady thinking about? Was it about the battles? The parents who were always away? Even about the awful appearance of the roughnecks in her castle?

Or perhaps...was she thinking of the Valet, the man and friend who had served her without a question? Darach felt himself grow warm at such a thought and immediately cursed himself for allowing such an improper thought to cross his mind. As if the lady would ever think of him! He was much lower than her and definitely not worthy of her hand. A butler and a princess...not likely.

No, Darach did not believe Lady Caitlin would ever think of him. (Even though Darach could never stop thinking about her.)

Her tense words broke him out of his thoughts. "Darach! Castle Points for this trainer at once!" The flustered butler quickly regained his posture and appeared in the battle room, awarding the young boy with the black and yellow hat some Castle Points. The boy had just completed his seventh battle so Darach returned his held items and bid the boy farewell until next time.

When he was finally alone, Darach let a sigh escape his lips. He looked back towards the battle room where his mistress (princess) resided in and smiled slightly.

"Ah Lady Caitlin...I do wonder what goes on in your mind? Though you will never know it, you are always in my thoughts..."

"Am I really?" the lady's small voice came from behind him. The Valet whirled around to see the small princess standing there, her face still set in the emotionless mask she put on for battles.

"L-Lady Caitlin...my lady, why have you left the battle room?" Darach asked.

Caitlin gave Darach an odd look. "It is nine o'clock, Darach. The Battle Castle closes now. There are no more challengers. Surely you knew of the time? Your pocket watch is suppose to be quite accurate."

"Oh...yes." Darach fumbled for his watch and opened it up. It was nine o'clock - closing time for the Castle. He felt embarrassed that he didn't even realize what the time was. Normally he was very proper with being on time and knowing what each minute was every day. But he had allowed thoughts of the Lady Caitlin to interfere. This was sure to get him tedious and trying chores.

"Dear Darach, what was that earlier about myself being in your thoughts?" Caitlin asked.

"My lady, I apologize, but I cannot say...such a confession is improper and wrong in the eyes of nobility," Darach said, looking away.

"Enough, Darach!" The Valet turned back to his mistress in surprise. She never spoke so loudly like that before. "You know you cannot hide anything from me. We know each other well. The rules of etiquette do not affect us when it is just you and I and no one else."

"But Lady Caitlin..." Darach started. Caitlin hushed him by placing a delicate finger on his lips.

"When it is just you and I, just call me by name, not by title. Darach, please...tell me what you meant. You shouldn't hide the truth," Caitlin said.

Darach felt his resolve slipping. He was no longer Darach the butler and the Castle Valet, but Darach the friend to Caitlin. Weakly, he replied, "Caitlin...I am always thinking about you. Not as a butler thinking of the needs of his mistress but as a man who thinks of a woman he has feelings for."

"I see..." Caitlin pursed her lips together. Her cheeks took on a rosy pink bloom as she pondered over Darach's words. "Then this means you have strong feelings for me, Darach?"

"Yes..." Darach confessed.

"Wonderful!" Caitlin exclaimed. Darach looked at her questioningly and Caitlin's smile widened. "Darach, I overheard you say that you wonder what goes through my mind and the truth is there are many things I wonder about. But almost every day, I find myself thinking about you and yearning for our younger days together...before we became employer and employee. I may be the owner of the Battle Castle, Darach, but I am still a girl with all the longings of a girl's heart."

_A girl with all the longings of a girl's heart..._Darach had no doubt that meant Caitlin thought of romance.

"I'm so pleased that you feel the same, Darach..." Caitlin added.

...wait what.

"The same?" Darach echoed in confusion. "Caitlin...what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I love you, you big silly butler," Caitlin answered with a cute smile. "And I don't care about the rules that state it's forbidden or anything. You're the only person I will ever allow myself to get close to, Darach."

"C-Caitlin..." for the umpteenth time that night, Darach found himself getting flustered. This was a scene played out only in his wildest of dreams or in the mushiest of fairy tales.

But he didn't mind. Caitlin wrapped her arms around him and pressed her small face into his chest in a close embrace. Darach had no words anymore, only actions. He kissed the top of Caitlin's head (her hair smelled of sweet strawberry shampoo, his favourite scent) and smiled.

His thoughts were now not only of Caitlin, but of him and Caitlin...together and living happily ever after.

Like a princess and a knight. Only in this case, the knight was replaced with a diligent butler.

* * *

**This is cute as well. :D Not as cute as my SpecialShipping, but it's close.**


	24. Questioning: KrisxGoldEthanxLyra

**Theme: **16. Questioning  
**Pairing: **KrisxGold/EthanxLyra triangle (NewBarkShipping vs HeartSoulShipping)  
**Summary: **_Who's that girl? Why does she keep calling me Gold? Why do I feel like I've existed somewhere else before?  
_**Rating: **K

**Alternate summary: **_Pokemon Crystal meets Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver._

**AN: **I'll be the first to admit this is confusing.

* * *

_Hi, Gold._

_Do you remember me?_

_We used to be friends._

_It was so long ago..._

Ethan woke up with a jolt. It was happening again...it was a reoccurring dream that he had every night ever since he turned eleven. A girl with blue hair approached him and they always sparked up a conversation. She looked odd...somewhat blocky, but very confident. He was sure that girl was a pokemon trainer and by the look in her eyes, she was a good one.

She had a slight resemblance to Lyra, his best friend. The girl had pigtails like Lyra, but unlike Lyra she dressed in a sportier look and had something similar to a headband on her head (too small to be a hat, like Lyra's big poofy thing). Ethan had no idea who this girl was and any attempts to talk to her were hard to make. But she clearly knew (or knows) him...save for his name.

_"Who is that girl? Why does she keep calling me Gold?" _Ethan thought. He wasn't named after a metal. He was Ethan, a normal guy with a normal name. But he was also intrigued. It was as if this other girl was from another world and this world was calling to him. He wanted to know what this other world was and why it was calling to him.

Why him?

Ethan rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. This time the girl with blue hair didn't appear.

* * *

"Lyra, I swear I'm telling the truth!" Ethan protested.

Lyra giggled. "I'm sure you are, Ethan, but do you hear yourself? Another world calling out to you? It just doesn't make any sense. What kind of world is it?"

Ethan hesitated. "It...well, it's hard to describe. But it looks like our world. But your house isn't actually your house...it belongs to the professor. And he doesn't live above his lab. It's also stranger somehow...like it looks old. A lot older than it is now. The colours are a bit weirder. I'm telling you, Lyra, it's gotta be real!"

"Ethan, you know I believe you," Lyra said sweetly.

"Y-You do?" Ethan asked.

"Sure," Lyra said, picking her Marill up. "You always tell the best stories, Ethan. You're going to be a great writer someday. I gotta go," she added, checking her PokeGear's clock. "Dinner time."

Lyra raced back to her house with her Marill and Ethan stared after her in sadness. He knew she didn't believe him. He suspected if he had told her about the girl, she would immediately accuse him of having a crush on her and using this weird fantasy to stray from the point. Ethan cared about Lyra, but he wasn't sure if he had a real crush on her.

But his caring for Lyra wasn't stopping his troubled feelings...the ones he felt whenever he went to sleep and the girl with blue hair was in front of him.

Ethan had so many questions. Maybe that girl would be able to answer them tonight.

* * *

_"Hi, Gold."_

"Who are you?" Ethan asked, struggling to stay asleep.

_"You don't remember me? Things really have changed...ten years must change a person."_

"Ten years? I'm only eleven!"

_"No. That's what they want you to believe. But you've existed before. Your name was Gold and that's what I will always know you by. It's sad that you don't even know who I am...I guess that girl really has taken my place."_

"What girl? Lyra?"

_"Yes. Her with the strange hat and the overalls. Eusine remains. Suicune still runs. But I am just a shadow of the past now."_

"I don't understand."

_"It's difficult to understand, Gold. But the main point is you've existed before. You used to live in this world. Take my hand...I'll show you everything."_

Ethan felt himself floating up higher and higher. The girl with blue hair was floating beside him and he had a clearer view of the world below. The world looked blocky and strange. It looked exactly like his hometown. And there was Cherrygrove City and Violet City. Violet City didn't have purple roofs over their buildings in this world, though.

The pair floated closer to Violet City. The girl pointed down to a very fat man who was whirling around on the spot and doing nothing else. _"That's EARL. He's the teacher in Violet City. He's a very funny man and well loved by his students."_

"I know Earl," Ethan said. "He talks really oddly. I never really found him funny before."

_"He was always someone funny to visit. Everyone in Johto likes him. Come on...there's so much to show you and there's not enough time," _the girl said.

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked. "The night is long."

_"The night is long, but our world doesn't last so long. Our clock ran out a long time ago. This Johto wiLL noT lAst lOnG..." _the girl covered her mouth in horror. The words she spoke sounded more like beeps from a computer. Ethan reached out to her as tears streamed down her face.

"Please...I want to know why you brought me here. That reason is everything I need to know. I'll understand everything then...why this world looks like mine. You know something about me that I don't and I don't even know your name," he said softly.

_"Gold...oH gOLd!" _the girl sobbed. They landed back in New Bark Town, even though the world started to fizz around. Sounds that resembled static sprung up from places where the terrain faded into numbers and bits of binary and data. The girl took Ethan's hand and ran into the house that was his in his world. They ran past a woman who was slowly fading and Ethan presumed she was the girl's mother. The pair hurried upstairs and Ethan received the shock of his life.

There, on the bed in this room that could have been his, was a boy. He wore yellow shorts and a red shirt with a white pocket stitched on the stomach. His hat was the exact same as Ethan's...and so was everything else. Hair, face, body shape and height. Ethan felt like he was looking at himself in a freaky nightmare.

_"That's you."_

"What?" Ethan cried out.

_"That was you in this world. But then something happened...you fell asleep and never woke up. I searched hard for answers and then I found out...our world was remade by the gods. They took your soul and the souls of everyone here in Johto. All that was left was points of data and me...for some reason, they didn't want me. It's been like this for so long...you are Gold. The male champion of Johto. You beat Silver. You beat the Elite Four and Lance. You found the legendary Red on Mt. Silver and beat him as well. And you were...mY bEst friEND..."_

Ethan's eyes filled with tears. This definitely wasn't some sort of joke. He had existed before and the proof was in front of him. This old world was discarded by someone with great power and he, along with everyone else, had their souls taken from their bodies and put into a new, sharper world. Everyone except this girl, who was replaced by...

_"I'm not Lyra. I nEver wiLl be LyrA and sHE wiLl nevER be mE. I havE no mORE chance at lIFe...plEASE rEMEMber me...RemEMBer Kris..."_

The world was really beginning to fade now. Kris, the girl who knew the truth, was beginning to choke and also disappear. Ethan had a million more questions to ask her, but it was impossible. It was time for him to wake up and escape this older world or else he could fade along with it. Before he could turn around and run, Kris took off her small cap and placed it in his hands.

_"YoU wiLL alWAYs be gOld. ReMEmber ME..."_

_I love you._

And she was gone.

* * *

Once again, Ethan was jolted awake. He was shivering with fear and his cheeks were wet as though he had been crying. It was a real nightmare, one that had him truly horrified. What kind of world did he live in now? Why was it the same as the older world, and yet so different? Why was that girl left behind? How well did he really know her? Why were all his memories erased of that other world?

So many questions and Ethan realized there were no answers for them. He looked down to see a small cap in his lap with the name _Kris _etched inside. It was the proof he had that Kris did exist and so did the world they lived in a long time ago.

Now Kris was gone...erased forever.

He lowered his face into his hands and cried.

* * *

**I hate Lyra. I hate her, hate her, hate her.**

**This is a tribute to Kris and the memory of my own copy of Pokemon Crystal. My internal clock died a year ago, which makes me very sad. As much as I love SoulSilver, it really feels like it's lacking in certain aspects. The insane and epic conversations with Irwin are gone. Some of the personalities of your former phone friends are lacking. And Kris is gone as well. -CRAI-**

**Matching this idea with the theme wasn't easy. Think about it this way: Ethan's got a buttload of questions he needs to ask Kris about Old Johto and about her. THERE. CREATIVE LICENSE.**


	25. Precious Treasure: DiaxPlatina

**Theme: **36. Precious Treasure  
**Pairing: **DiamondxPlatinum (DiaxPlatina, CommonerShipping)  
**Summary: **_Being rich didn't mean she had everything. And Platina was beginning to realize how precious a certain diamond was...  
_**Rating: **K  
**Requested by: **mochicocoa

* * *

_"What is wrong with me?" _Platina Berlitz thought furiously. She looked around the room and took in her surroundings. Her room in her mansion was furnished with everything she had ever desired: expensive shelves, rare knick knacks, oil paintings from artists as far away as Hoenn and many other valuables that were extremely expensive to people of the commoner world.

But even with all these treasures, Platina felt like she was missing something. And she had no idea what.

_"I have everything a young girl desires. A large home. Beautiful surroundings. Lovely pokemon. Jewels to satisfy the Midas..." _Platina's thoughts stopped there. Maybe that was her problem. She got up quickly and hurried over to her box of jewelery and looked through it. There were so many different pieces: rings with expensive gems, necklaces made with gold, bracelets from foreign countries and other rare pieces that weren't even sold at a jeweler's shop. So many different jewels. Rubies, sapphires, crystals, emeralds, amethysts, garnets, peridots, aquamarines, topazes, diamonds...

Platina backtracked and pulled out a beautiful diamond charm bracelet. The glittering jewels sparkled in the bright overhead lights and made her eyes twinkle with joy. The brightness reminded her of a certain youth with the same namesake as the jewel. Ah, sweet Dia...Platina wondered how the boy was doing. His warm smile and adorable naive nature gave him a soft spot in Platina's heart.

Was he still the same? Did he ever outgrow Pearl's bullying? It's been a while since she had seen him last. The trio of Sinnoh Dex holders were close but they were forced into different social worlds because Platina was rich and Dia and Pearl were not. Still, despite this, they were such good friends and Platina hate to let that go.

Maybe that was what she was missing. A rich girl could have every thing in the world, but missing the most important thing ever: friendship.

She missed Dia more than she missed Pearl. After gently replacing the bracelet in the jewelery box, she closed it and went for the phone. Different social worlds or not, she wanted to see Dia again and she wasn't going to allow petty rules to stop her.

The sounds of a ringing phone echoed from the earpiece and a male voice answered. "Hellooooo, this is Dia."

Platina giggled to herself. He was really cute when he acted that way. "Dia, it's Platina Berlitz."

"Oh!" he sounded surprised. "Hi, Little Miss! How are you?"

"Missing you," Platina replied. And that was entirely true. "I'd like to see you again, Dia. Would you like to come over?"

"Sure!" he sounded enthusiastic and thrilled. It was hard to tell over a phone. They both said good bye and hung up. Dia came knocking on the door in less than ten minutes which pleased Platina a lot. Pearl wasn't there either (a bit of a rare sight because Dia and Pearl were inseparable best friends).

She didn't question it. She was just happy to see Dia. The void feeling inside of her was filled up and she felt whole. Platina acted on her feelings and hugged Dia close, smiling joyfully.

"Thank you, Dia."

He wrapped his arms around her. "No problem, Platina."

Some things were more precious than jewels. Dia was an example of that. The pair had a good time together, eating and talking about their adventures. Neither of them noticed the time fly by and it was quite late when Sebastian found the two of them _being quite cozy _on the couch and watching TV.

"Platinum, it is time your friend went home. It is quite dark outside now and the weather forecast is looking grim."

Just as Sebastian spoke those words, a loud crash of thunder boomed outside the house, making Dia and Platina jump in surprise. The butler blinked, also surprised at the timing of the weather. Dia stuck his lower lip out; he didn't want to leave and walk home in a storm. Platina didn't want him to leave either so she ordered Sebastian to prepare a guest room for Dia.

"Can I really stay here?" Dia asked, eyes lighting up.

"Of course. It isn't a problem at all," Platina said kindly. She cuddled right into Dia's side with a smile. "I'm glad to have you around, Dia."

Dia blushed. "Th-thank you, Platina..."

The truth was Platina didn't want Dia to leave at all. She held such affection for the boy that was reaching beyond just friendship. Dia was one in a million, someone that couldn't be replaced even if she tried.

He was a real precious treasure. She would hold him forever.

* * *

**I've written two CommonerShipping oneshots, both from Dia's perspective, so I decided to try it from Platina's side. This is actually good practice, considering my third CommonerShipping oneshot is coming out soon and it's told mainly from Platina's POV. It's only halfway done and I've been working on it since March. ._.**

**Also, I've finally reached 25 themes now. Whew...it's time to announce this edition is on a strict hiatus. My reasons are good! I really need to finish some overdue works and the other editions of the 100 themes. The Kingdom Hearts version is finally finished, but the Super Smash Bros and Fire Emblem ones aren't done yet. There's two left for SSBB and four left for FE. I really want them off my shoulders so I'm going to focus my energy into finishing them.**

**But I don't want to be mean. I have a lot of other themes planned for this. So here's a bunch of previews for what can be expected after the hiatus. :D (A special mention to my babes, Regii, for helping me get things sorted and inspiring me with more ideas for the themes.) Enjoy!**

_**18. Rainbow **_**Ho-ohxRotom, WarmCircuitShipping. **_As a little ghost, Rotom's never really seen daylight before or had a chance to see a rainbow. To show her the beauty of the seven colours in harmony, Ho-Oh paints her a rainbow in the sky._

_**21. Vacation **_**MewxCelebi, #51Shipping. **_The legends get a break from each other and Mew invites Celebi to come back with him to one of his favourite places in the sky. The island below is beautiful and has no humans around. Mew says he used to live here a long time ago and rearranged the stars to make new constallations. Where could this be? __**(Hint: The setting is in a Pokemon game, but not any of the regular ones.)**_

_**66. Traps (part 2) and 32. Night (part 3) **_**RayquazaxLatias, DracoShipping. **_A continuation from chapter 4 with the theme Tower. Traps may be replaced. Has Rayquaza mulling over Latias's behaviour and realizing he misses her. They reconnect under a night sky with a renewed relationship._

_**38. Abandoned **_**PikachuxPikachu (ChironxAquila), ElectricAngelShipping. **_Not quite RP based. A look into my Pikachus' pasts as they fall in love and try to raise an abandoned Pikachu with a scar on his face and a tortured past. Also features the pimp Pikachu, Chop Suey. Chiron is the male and Aquila is the female. Algol is their adopted son._

_**39. Dreams **_**AzelfxDarkrai, DarkWillShipping. **_A sequel to another oneshot I wrote, called The Demon And The Harlot. The newly crowned evil duo of Sinnoh take great sadistic pleasure in torturing humans through their dreams. Gijinka fic, also recommended you read The Demon And The Harlot before reading this._

_**55. Waiting **_**GoldxCrystal, MangaQuestShpping. **_RP based, to be co-written with Regii. Gold's waiting for Crystal to give birth to a bundle of joy that will shake their worlds upside down. Features Silver, Blue, Red, Yellow, HeartGold and SoulSilver as they try to ease Gold's anxiety of being thrown into fatherhood (or in Silver's case, enjoying every minute of his suffering). (HeartGold and SoulSilver are OCs made by Regii and I. They're manga characters, which is why they're named after the games.)_

_**59. No Way Out **_**LucarioxSalamence (LucyxSala), MachoistShipping. **_My female Lucario and male Salamence are CRAZY. Imagine what goes on when they're mating. Not a lemon fic._

_**71. Obsession **_**WesxRui, ColosseumShipping. **_The final part to Trouble Lurking and Insanity. Fein is obsessed with Wes's life and taking over it. That means getting everything that he has in his life. Including Rui..._

_**72. Mischief Managed **_**LatiosxArticuno and Ho-OhxRotom (FrozenEonShipping and WarmCircuitShipping). **_Just another day in the Hall of Origin with Rotom posessing Arceus's toaster, flooding the kitchen through the dishwasher, making a mess with the fan and Ho-Oh encouraging her. And let's not forget Articuno's practical jokes...oh no, she has an accomplice this time too._

_**82. Can You Hear Me? (part one) and 80. Words (part two) **_**RedxLeaf (BurningLeafShipping) **_A short story divided into two parts that takes place during FR/LG and then HG/SS. Leaf knew being a champion was Red's destiny so it was no surprise he was all set to climb the highest and most dangerous mountain in the Johto region. While he's gone, Leaf makes it a nightly ritual to say a prayer for his safety and hopes the wind carries her words to him. Three years later, Red still has not come home and Leaf has turned into a reclusive teenager. A young boy named Gold from New Bark Town and the champion from Johto comes to Pallet Town to inquire about a 'legend on Mt. Silver', but Blue isn't willing to talk, Professor Oak is hiding the truth and Red's mother has sunk into a depression after not hearing from her son in three years. The only one who is willing to share what she knows is Leaf, who's been wearing a broken smile for too long. She tells Gold everything about Red and Gold makes a promise to bring him back. Leaf thanks Gold and asks him to tell Red that she's always loved him. Maybe her words will bring him down._

_**91. Drowning **_**SwampertxGardevoir (BeautyandtheBeastShipping) **_A young Kirlia named Andromenda falls into a deep water hole and is rescued by a cocky and arrogant Marshtomp named Nukem. Though it's against their clans' rules to be together, they become friends and never forgot each other. Years later, the mudfish clan is at war with the Gardevoirs and Gallades, determined to drive each other out of the terrictory. After a particularly harsh battle, Andromenda, now a Gardevoir, collapses and is rescued again by Nukem, who's become a Swampert. Neither of them want to fight anymore and have revealed they never forgot each other. They resolve to run away and start a new life. To hell with their clans...they can all drown in hell._

_**100. Relaxation **_**RedxYellow (SpecialShipping) **_Not rp based this time. Red decides to humor Yellow and takes a break from training and battling...something he never thought he'd do. But Yellow shows him there's more to life than fighting and being strong. She teaches Red to relax and enjoy the finer points of the day. Red learns how to fish, how to draw and...how to fall in love with Yellow._

**Holy HELL, you can see how busy I've been. There's still so much to do and this isn't even all the themes that are left! I have so many themes that have no plans or pairing put to them. When I call off the hiatus, I'll be more than happy to accept requests. Just let me get the overdue stuff done first.**

**Alright, I'm done. I need a break. Dx Be seeing you all next chapter after the hiatus!**


	26. Waiting: GoldxCrystal

**Theme: **55. Waiting  
**Pairings: **Main is GoldxCrystal (MangaQuestShipping). Side pairings are RedxYellow (SpecialShipping), BluexSilver (ChoosenShipping), EmeraldxJasmine and HeartGoldxSoulSilver (PreciousEmotionsShipping).  
**Summary: **_For Gold, waiting for his wife to give birth to their child was similar to going through hell. Silver was enjoying it.  
_**Rating: **I'd say K plus to T, because there's some minor swearing.  
**Extra notes: **A reminder that HeartGold and SoulSilver are COPYRIGHT TO REGII AND MYSELF. They are our original manga characters and not to be used without permission. If I find either of them being used without our permission, I will go Momma Bear on your ass.

Special thanks to my lover, Regii, for helping me write this. I LOVE YOU!

Ages: Red is 25, Blue is 26, Yellow is 23, Gold, Silver and Crystal are 22, Emerald is 20 and HeartGold and SoulSilver are both 19. Jasmine's age isn't given in the manga and this is roughly nine years after the Emerald arc so I'll list her as being about 20.

* * *

"Gold, you need to relax," Red said, watching the Hatcher pace back and forth in the waiting room. He, Yellow, Blue, Silver, HeartGold and SoulSilver had arrived at the New Bark Town hospital when they heard the news that Crys was in labour and Gold was wound up tighter than a Spoink's tail. He hadn't stopped pacing or twitching and Yellow was worried he would stress himself into an anxiety attack so she had gone to make some tea. The remaining Dex holders sat in different chairs, either watching the clock or conversing. Silver was the only other one watching Gold with vast amusement.

"HOW CAN I?" Gold shouted at Red. His left eye was twitching crazily. "Crys is in there having a child...and I'm stuck waiting in this Arceus-damned hellhole-"

"Quit it!" HeartGold snapped. He got up from his chair and went over to the older man. Taking him by the shoulders, the Affectionator shook him hard enough to loosen Gold's goggles. "You gotta be CALM. Worrying isn't going to solve anything!"

Gold stared at HeartGold with wide eyes and stopped talking. HeartGold released him and Gold went back to walking around. Silver snickered and a thoughtful expression came over his face.

Luckily, at that moment, Yellow walked in with a tray of tea and coffee. SoulSilver jumped up, anxious for the coffee, and Yellow handed a cup of tea to Gold. "Sorry, Gold, but the hospital doesn't allow Cosmic Power in here."

"Yeah right," SoulSilver said as she stirred her coffee. "The last thing he needs is to get drunk on his kid's birthday."

Yellow shot SoulSilver a look that said _don't you dare _and sat down with a cup of tea for herself. She looked over at Gold and sighed when she saw he hadn't even touched the special tea she made for him. "Gold you're very finicky..."

"Hey Yellow..." the Healer turned to look at Blue, who had a very snarky grin on her face. "Just wait until it's you in there. Red will worry himself into a heart attack!"

Yellow spat out her tea and turned bright red. SoulSilver groaned and smacked Blue's upper arm. Red, on the other hand, grinned at Blue and calmly said, "Ah but I'm used to situations like this." He was about to remind Blue of the Team Rocket trouble, the issues with the Shitenou and when they got petrified but Gold suddenly screamed again.

"BUT I'M NOT! What if it's a miscariage? What if Crys gets hurt? What if the baby can't breathe? What if it's deformed?"

Everyone groaned again and SoulSilver slapped her forehead. Red had enough of Gold's worrying and glared at him. "CALM DOWN."

Gold shuddered and plopped down in a chair. It was obvious the happy go lucky man wasn't going to stop worrying anytime soon. HeartGold got up to try and comfort his senior again. "Here's an idea. Try thinking of Crys holding your child in her arms...smiling when you walk in...in perfect health..." He kept putting those thoughts in Gold's head and the Hatcher actually smiled. He sat back and reached for the tea Yellow gave him. Satisfied, HeartGold sat down next to SoulSilver.

"Hey Gold."

Gold froze when he heard Silver call to him. "Y-Yeah?"

Silver smirked and said in a low voice, "Eleven toes."

The atmosphere changed immediately with those two words. Gold was back on his feet and screaming and eveyone else glared daggers at Silver. Blue was holding her stomach and laughing so hard. Yellow jumped up and patted Gold's shoulders, trying to stop his screaming.

"Gold, snap out of it! The baby is NOT going to have eleven toes! Please, you're going to have an anxiety attack at this rate! Sit down and just drink some of my special tea. And ignore Silver," she added, glaring at the redhead.

"Listen to Yellow, she's the smart one," SoulSilver called. A thought came over her and she added, "Hey Gold, did you decide on names?"

"N-Not yet..." Gold replied. Still shaking, he sat back into his seat and Yellow put the tea in his hands, instructing him to drink. Silver and Blue were still laughing and HeartGold and SoulSilver shot them murderous looks.

"This is hilarious..."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were in my shoes, Silver!" Gold snapped.

"Yeah, seriously. Quit irritating him," HeartGold added. Silver pretended to think and shook his head. He was about to say something else when the hospital doors flung open and two people practically flew in.

"I hope we're not too late!" Jasmine, the Olivine Gym Leader said with a gasp. Emerald was right next to her, fixing his gadgets and putting them away.

"Jasmine, where were you?" SoulSilver asked. "I tried calling your gym and I kept getting the answering machine!"

"At the farm," Emerald answered before Jasmine could. "We had to buy Moomoo Milk and other things."

"And I had wanted to pet the Miltanks..." Jasmine added sheepishly. "I'm sorry!"

"Don't worry, you haven't missed anything," Yellow said. "The baby isn't born yet. We're all just waiting right now..."

"And watching Gold spazz!" Blue added. Jasmine and Emerald ignored her and went over to greet Gold. Emerald looked up at his figurative brother in law.

"Ruby and Sapphire said they're sorry they couldn't make it here. But they send their best wishes."

"Oh yeah, same with Clair and Pearl," SoulSilver threw in. She was from the dragon clan and an old friend of Clair's. Pearl from Sinnoh had taken a real shine to her best friend. "I think there's been another clan meeting today."

"It's okay..." Gold said.

"Yeah, we'll tell them the news later," HeartGold said.

"Like how many arms the kids will have," Silver added.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Jasmine and Emerald stared at Silver in shock and Yellow lost it. "ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU AND RATTY'S GETTING THINGS TO CHEW!" she shouted at Silver.

Everyone's attention was now on Yellow and Red jumped up to try and calm his fiancee. The silence was broken five minutes later by Crys screaming from down the hall.

"There goes a contraction...hey, Gold!" SoulSilver broke off when she saw Gold heading towards the doors. "GOLD!"

"CRYS NEEDS MY HELP!"

"NO!" Red and HeartGold quickly grabbed Gold and restrained him.

"If you go in there, you're just going to start trouble!" HeartGold snapped.

"You KNOW you're not allowed in there!" Red added.

"She's in PAIN! That's my WIFE!"

"SHUT UP!" Emerald suddenly yelled. "Gold, that's also my non-blood SISTER in there! You don't think I'm worried? I've known her a lot longer than you have but I'm not going in there! Sit the hell down and SHUT UP."

Red and HeartGold dragged Gold back to his chair and Yellow put her tea in Gold's hands again with the demand to drink it. Jasmine took Emerald's hand and went to sit down. She turned towards Gold with a gentle look and softly said, "Please, Gold, try to restrain yourself. Why don't we think of names?"

"How about Worry or Trouble as a reminder of what Gold's going through?" Blue said.

"Not funny," SoulSilver snapped.

"Then what about Cheating for what Gold does at the Game Corner?" Silver suggested. SoulSilver started to argue with him and HeartGold rolled his eyes.

"I've got it!" Yellow said. "How about the name Turquoise if it's a boy?"

"Oh that's adorable!" Jasmine said, clasping her hands together. "It's perfect!"

"But what if it's a girl?" Emerald asked.

Jasmine thought for a moment. "How about Topaz? She would be yellow in colour like her father and be a jewel like her mother."

Gold sipped the tea and thought about the names. After setting the empty cup aside, he nodded. "I like them both. Turquoise for a guy and Topaz for a girl...it's perfect. Thanks, both of you."

"We're glad to help," Yellow said. Jasmine nodded.

"I'm gonna be a dad...hell..." Gold stared down at his hands. "What if..."

"No more what ifs, Gold," Red said. "You're going to be a dad and that's that. Nothing's going to happen."

"All we can do is wait right now..." HeartGold looked up at the clock. "I wish it would happen soon..."

Silver broke his argument with SoulSilver and smirked at Gold again. "It might take time to get all the arms and legs ou-"

"WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT!" Gold snapped. Silver's smirk vanished and Blue's eyes widened. SoulSilver laughed and plopped down in her chair again.

"How long have we been here anyway?" Blue asked.

"A few hours..." SoulSilver glanced at the clock. "And judging by Crys's screams, it's going to happen soon." Emerald and Gold visibly twitched.

Red, on the other hand, decided to tease his fiancee. "Hey Yellow, I was going to suggest Orange as a name, but that would probably be a better name for our kid, hmmm?" Yellow squeaked and blushed.

"What are you whispering about, Red?" HeartGold asked.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOTHING!" Red grinned. Emerald groaned and rested his head in Jasmine's lap.

The waiting game had resumed.

"Hey Gold, I think you'll like this," SoulSilver piped up fifteen minutes later. She had her Pokegear opened up to the photo function and one particular photo was on display. Curious, Gold stretched over to see it. It was the picture Crys had taken of Silver and Blue at Ruby's birthday a few months ago. They were all hanging around in the pool and Blue decided to pull a prank on Silver. She had jumped him and stuck her tongue out in Crys's direction, who had a digital camera on hand. However, this photo was clearly doctored. Silver's eyes were five times their size and Blue's tongue and lips were blown up to cover her face completely. The caption below the picture said, "WACKY TONGUE WAVING LIP INFLAITABLE BALLOON WOMAN."

Gold stared at the picture while SoulSilver tried not to laugh. His mouth twitched and he suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Silver snapped, putting his book down. Blue looked irritated and HeartGold's lips curved into a smile. He had already seen the picture. Leave it to his SoulSilver to come up with a way to break the tension.

"It's nothing that concerns you, Silver," he said.

"Or maybe it does!" SoulSilver cracked. Silver and Blue jumped up to wrestle the Pokegear away from the Beserker when Crys's screaming suddenly stopped. Everyone stood still and they heard a new sound coming from the hallway.

It was the cry of a baby.

Yellow, Jasmine and SoulSilver's jaws dropped. Blue just looked irritated as usual. The guys looked towards the doors anxiously and a doctor burst into the waiting room. "Is Gold here?"

"Right here!" Gold jumped out of his seat. "Is Crys alright? Can I see them?"

"That's a nice change," Red remarked. Yellow and HeartGold nodded in agreement.

"Just a second. I want to give the nurses a bit of time to clean up. But I must congradulate you, Gold. You're now the father of a very healthy baby boy," the doctor announced.

Jasmine and SoulSilver squealed. "A BOY!"

"And from the looks of him, he looks like his dad! He's already got a lot of black hair on his head!" the doctor added.

"That's wonderful!" Yellow smiled.

"What about his eyes?" Blue asked.

"Babies can't open their eyes right away because they're very sensitive. Especially when they're first born. They did spend nine months in darkness," the doctor reminded her. "Now look, I'm willing to bet you all want to see Crystal and the baby. So why don't you all follow me?"

Red, Yellow, Emerald, Jasmine, Gold, SoulSilver and HeartGold started to follow but Silver and Blue hung back for a bit.

"Should we, really?" Blue asked. "Shouldn't it be family time only?"

"Come on...Silver, you're coming too," HeartGold urged them. Silver muttered a 'fine' and they caught up.

Blue suddenly smiled. "Aw, guess this means we can't be mean anymore. Come on Silver. Your best friend's a dad now. Let's be nice for a while." She took his hand and squeezed it, earning a slight blush from her lover.

"Hey Emerald..." Jasmine said thoughtfully. "If Crystal is like a sister to you, would this make you an uncle?"

Emerald started to answer, but SoulSilver popped up between them both with a grin. "I'd say so."

"Hey!"

They finally came to a door with Crystal's name on it. The doctor put his finger to his lips and quietly opened the door. Crystal was lying on the bed in an upright position, looking asleep. A team of nurses was in a corner of the room. One of them broke free holding a bundle in a light blue blanket and stared at the group. SoulSilver pushed Gold forward and whispered, "Go on Gold, it's your son..."

Unsure of what else to do, Gold approached the nurse with the blanket. She passed the bundle to him and smiled sweetly. Gold looked down at the tiny figure nested in his arms and tears came to his eyes. "Guys...look...it's my son."

The group huddled around Gold and the baby, hoping for a look. Choruses of "Awwwwwwwwwww!" and "He's so cute!" came from the women and smiles came from the men.

"I'm glad you think my son is adorable. This means I can have a look at him too now," Crys's voice came from the bed and everyone looked over. She was clad in a hospital gown and her pigtails were taken out of her hair. She looked ragged and tired but she was smiling. "Come on, Gold, let me see him."

"Sure, love." Gold carefully nudged his way through the crowd and went to his wife's bedside. Crys raised her arms eagerly and took the baby from him and her eyes began to shine.

"He looks so much like you...he looks so perfect!" Crys gushed. She unwrapped the blanket near the baby's toes and counted them. "Ten fingers and ten toes...not eleven," she said. Silver visibly flinched.

"You heard me, didn't you?"

"When I wasn't screaming, I could hear Gold screaming," Crys said. "You were tormenting him, weren't you Silver?"

"Meh." Silver shrugged. "He's going to have to put up with it when Junior there grows up. I figured I'd help him get ready for it."

"Liar," SoulSilver mumbled, earning a glare from Blue.

"We were thinking about names outside..." HeartGold piped up.

"Yeah!" Yellow smiled. "And the one we came up with for a boy was Turquoise!"

"Turquoise..." Crys said softly, putting the baby on her chest. "I like it! I think it's perfect!" She looked over at Emerald and her face lit up. "Emmy...I'm glad you came here. I thought you would have settled in Hoenn instead."

"I did, for a while..." Emerald said. "But Jasmine asked me to move in with her after we started dating. 'Sides, this means I get to be closer to you, big sis."

"Good. This kid needs an uncle," Crys said in her well known bossy tone. "No one else will do the job better than you, Emerald." The small trick master grinned.

SoulSilver pulled out her Pokegear and took a few pictures. Gold settled on the bed beside Crystal, not taking his eyes off baby Turquoise. Blue drifted off into her own thoughts and a dreamy look came over her eyes.

"The waiting was worth it, Gold..." Crys whispered. "Nine months of pregnancy and just a little more for him to be born. Now we're parents...I still can't believe it."

"Neither can I," Gold gave his trademark grin to his wife. "But you're right. It was worth it. Hey, wait a sec...we never thought of godparents!"

"We'll all be godparents!" Red said. "This'll save you the trouble of choosing!"

"Is that even possible?" Silver asked in annoyance.

"Sure it is," Yellow said, cuddling into Red's side. "The Dex holders are like one huge family. It makes perfect sense!"

"Red hair..." Blue mumbled. SoulSilver glanced over at the Evolver and started laughing, which broke Blue's train of thought. "What's so funny?"

"I know what's on YOUR mind, Blue-chan," SoulSilver said with a grin. The guys started to chuckle and looked over at Silver. Yellow and Jasmine giggled as soon as they got the joke. (Gold and Crystal were too busy kissing.)

"WHAT?" Silver growled with major annoyance. SoulSilver put her Pokegear away and put her arm around Silver in an exaggerated way.

"Well, Silver..." she said to her senior. "Let's just say we ALL know Blue wants your bad romance...and your babies."

"SOULSILVER!" Blue screeched.

"KUDOS!" SoulSilver yelped before running out with a very angry Blue on her heels.

* * *

**LULZ.**

**This was uber fun. F3**

**And on another note, I'M BACK BABY! The Smash Bros and Fire Emblem themes are FINISHED! We will now resume with your regular Pokemon oneshots and romance NOW! 8D  
**


	27. Test: GretaxTucker

**Theme: **77. Test  
**Pairing: **GretaxTucker (OppositeShipping)  
**Summary: **_All those dude looks like a lady comments was putting their relationship to a harsh test.  
_**Rating: **K plus, possibly T if you're sensitive to swearing.

**AN: **I've always wanted to do a Hoenn Frontier pairing. I ship the weirdest when it comes to this Battle Frontier, but this one takes the caek (misspelling intended). The other two Frontier ships I support are LucyxBrandon and NolandxAnabel.

But SRSLY. Greta and TUCKER. A martial arts girl and a flamboyant superstar wannabe. You KNOW this isn't going to end well.

Inspired by Aerosmith - Dude Looks Like A Lady (LISTEN TO IT)

* * *

Greta couldn't stand it.

She was normally even tempered about anything and typically ignored what others were saying, but she found herself gradually changing when she began a relationship with Tucker, the Dome Ace. It wasn't that people who arrived at the Battle Frontier were snubbing a more-than-coworker relationship. It wasn't that Scott didn't approve (he couldn't give a damn as long as people kept pouring in). It wasn't that her chunky karate assistants hated the fact that their pretty girl instructor was no longer on the single market.

No, it definitely wasn't any of these that was making her feel less tolerable and more irritant.

It was the continuous comments of Tucker's eccentric way of dressing and acting.

_"Look at how tight his clothes are! You can see EVERYTHING!"_

_"And how girlish they look. Is he a crossdresser?"_

_"My sister was saying how much she wants his hair. It's way too long for him. He should cut it off and make it a wig."_

_"What's with the wings on his outfit? Is he trying to look more glamorous? I don't get it."_

And THEN they start talking about her and that's when she wants to scream and break something.

_"Have you heard he's going out with the Arena Tycoon, Greta?"_

_"Seriously? I didn't think she was romantically interested in guys. She seemed so boyish herself."_

_"Yeah, I thought so too. Maybe that's why she's dating Tucker. He's more feminine than her and she's more masculine than him."_

_"They seem like such opposites..."_

_"Maybe it's a hoax and Greta's dating Tucker because he's the closest thing ever to a girl she can find."_

She HATED that.

Greta, as rough and tough as she was, was not a lesbian and never had an interest in girls as either friends or otherwise. She made an exception of the other two girls at the Battle Frontier because they were coworkers and respected her.

What she never understood was that Tucker was turning a blind eye to the gossip. Which would have been fine if it weren't for the fact it was also hitting the tabloids (the Battle Frontier's Brains had enough status to be considered celebrates in Hoenn). Instead of trying to discourage the rumors and gossip, he relished in the limelight and soaked up all the attention.

This had to stop, or their relationship was shot to hell.

Greta was busy punching some punching bags with her assistants to cool off some steam when Tucker strolled in, looking all glamorized and fancy. The martial arts girl felt her temper flare when her boyfriend so _casually _strolled in and punched the bag so hard, it knocked her assistant out.

"My my, Greta dear. A little too rough, don't you think?" Tucker asked.

"Whatever!" Greta spat. "In case you can't tell, _my oh so dear, _I'm freaking PISSED!"

"Tisk tisk tisk..." Tucker walked up to her and attempted to put his arms around her. Greta stiffened at his touch and whirled away. "What? Greta, what is..."

"And it's YOUR FAULT I'm so pissed off, Tucker!" Greta shouted. "You! You with all your damn spotlight attention and wanting to be such a BIG fucking superstar!" Tucker's expression turned to a shocked one, but Greta kept going. "It's like you don't KNOW what they're saying about us! That you're probably a gay crossdresser and that I'm probably a lesbian and we're only together because you act more like a woman and I act more like a guy! It's putting a HUGE strain on our relationship and you just...IGNORE it? It's not going to go away! I don't like lies!" she yelled.

"Greta..." Tucker said softly. "If you know it's not true, why are you so angry?"

"Because I hate what they're saying in the tabloids!" Greta snapped. "And every time I get people in here for a fight, they're always asking me if it's all fake! Our relationship, you, me..." she shuddered and fell to her knees, still furious. "My media image is painting me as someone I'm not," she said firmly. "I didn't become a Frontier Brain for this. And I especially didn't start dating you for this. I became a Brain to fight strong trainers and measure myself against others. And I started going out with you because...because..."

"Because we cared about each other," Tucker said. "Greta, I love you. And the reason I don't pay attention to them is because I've learned to ignore them. The media doesn't care about the truth. You can tell them the honest thing and they'll twist it around in order to sell their papers. Soon they'll find someone else to misinterpret and leave you and I alone."

"Are you sure?" Greta asked softly.

Tucker nodded. "It's putting our relationship to the test, isn't it? But what won't kill our relationship will only make it stronger. You're not going to leave me because of this, will you?"

"I thought about it..." Greta admitted. "I thought it was your fault these people were saying such nasty things. I thought if I wasn't with you anymore, they would stop. But not anymore. You're right. The media's a bunch of lie hungry bastards and it's their fault for those nasty rumors." She stood up and gave Tucker an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. Will you ever forgive me?"

"Hmmm, I don't know..." Tucker said, giving Greta a teasing wink. "Perhaps if you accompany me to dinner tonight in Lilycove City, I might be inclined to forgive you."

"You'd better." Greta gave him a soft punch. "Dinner sounds good, Tucker. But do me a favour."

"What is it, my dear?"

"Wear something other than tight clothes, will ya?" Before he could answer, Greta tackled him to the floor in a fierce glomp.

Both of them forgot about the knocked out assistant on the floor.

* * *

**-giggles-**

**Wow. This was AMAZING. I love writing about characters who don't get enough screen time or spotlight in fanfics. And I think I did Greta and Tucker justice. **

**In addition to this, I'm trying to sort out a theme that will center around EmeraldxJasmine with some MortyxJasmine and MortyxErika. I won't reveal much now, but the theme will be **_**6. Break Away. **_**And, of course, there's still the other themes listed on chapter 25 that I have plans for.**

**Seventy two down! Don't forget to review! I LOVE YOU GUYS!**


	28. Multitasking: Miror BxSalsa Music

**Theme: **64. Multitasking  
**Pairing: **Miror BxSalsa Music (AvacadoShipping)  
**Summary: **_"Ooh baby! I may be a hard working Cipher Admin but I can still find time to DAAAAAANCE!"  
_**Rating: **K plus

**AN: **OH GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE.

THIS IS COMPLETE AND UTTER CRACK!

YOUR BRAIN WILL EXPLODE.

So I was looking on Bulbapedia one day and I found this shipping (IT IS AN ACTUAL SHIPPING AND THERE ARE SOME SCARIER ONES AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT HUMANXPOKEMON). I immediately cracked up at how hilarious it sounded and told my boyfriend I supported it. But I thought I'd never write it. However, I had an urge to write something so I looked at my list of themes that are left and my shipping list on my LJ. And this came up.

YOU MUST NOW SUFFER THE CRACK.

* * *

Miror B. was not in a good mood. No, not at all.

It had started when Master Nascour brought in more shadow pokemon for Miror to train up. He had received Sudowoodo, which was kind of awesome because it looked like it dances like he did, and the shadow pokemon was so distressed, it attacked Miror's afro, mistaking it for a weird Electrode.

Then his idiot peons, Reath, Ferma, Trudly and Folly, got themselves landed in jail again, which meant he had to break them out later.

His hideout was also a mess. Without any peons to look after it for him, Miror had to clean it by himself! What a horrible thing!

PLUS that annoying Venus had paperwork brought in from her boyfriend for Miror to review and check that all facts about shadow pokemon were in order. (_"And if you discover anything new about shadow pokemon not listed here, call Ein IMMEDIATELY!_" she had screeched.)

Then Dakim rolled in and nearly set fire to the place with his Entei. Thankfully the Ludicolo took care of them.

Miror B. was so busy with all the multiple tasks. He was trying to clean the hideout ALONE, trying to figure out how to bust his idiots out of jail without wasting money for bail, attempting to fix his hair, trying to study the new shadow pokemon results AND throwing away precious burnt tools that the idiot destroyed.

He was NOT a good multitasker.

The silence wasn't helping either.

Miror B. huffed and groaned as he moved more belongings into a safer room. On the way over to the door, his foot hit a certain remote control. His favourite music - salsa music - began to play.

Music.

Music.

MUSIC.

Miror B. dropped the box he was carrying and his feet started moving to the beat. His hips began to sway in time to the groove. There was no use in resisting that _oh so irresistible _sweet temptation of the salsa music! He was drawn in more than a Snorlax to food. Like a Butterfree to sap. Like...like...

"Like Mexicans to a taco place!" Miror B. suddenly shouted. He was completely moving to the groove now, his other tasks completely forgotten. "Ooh baby! This is what life is really all about! This music right here, darlings, is L-O-V-E! Ooh baby! I may be a hard working Cipher Admin but I still can DAAAAAAAAANCE!"

Miror B. proceeded to dance the night away with his one true love - salsa music - and completely forget about his idiot peons in jail. They later escaped after that lazy bastard, Johnson, fell asleep near Folly's cell with the key in plain sight. Ferma and Reath were forced to restyle Miror B.'s afro and Trudly and Folly were forced to clean the entire hideout. The dancing admin also ignored his reports on shadow pokemon, leaving it down on the desk at the hideout's entrance.

What? How else was Wes and Rui suppose to pick it up later?

* * *

**brb, scrubbing my brain clean of that music.**


	29. Obsession: WesxRui

**Theme: **71. Obsession  
**Pairing: **WesxRui (ColosseumShipping) with a onesided FeinxRui.  
**Summary: **_I am you and you are me and we are all together. Your life is mine.  
_**Rating: **K plus for some swearing

* * *

_Fein's POV_

I love this. I love this so much.

Being you is amazing. Everywhere I go, people shower me with praise and adoration. They don't know I'm not actually you...at least not yet.

There's only one thing I'm missing. That girl who's always with you. Following you wherever you go. Always by your side. The knight and his princess, is that it? She's what I really need to become you.

I will dazzle her and sweep her off her feet. I will sway her into believing you are the fake and I am the real one. I will lay my lips on hers and taint her emotions.

Rui. That's her name. Rui Rui Rui.

Such a short and simple name...but a sweet one.

I can't wait to make her my girl.

So come to me, Wes! Find me! By now you must have heard the broadcast news about how 'you' are going around and hurting people with a strange Togetic. I've already pulverized your buddy,Willie, at the Outskirt Stand. And he STILL thinks I'm you!

Come to the Outskirt Stand, Wes!

I'm waiting for our showdown!

I am you and you are me and we are all together.

Your life is mine.

_Wes's POV_

I'm not very excited about this. Actually, I feel nervous.

I'm going to find something I'm later going to wish I never saw.

Seriously, it creeps me out that someone had the nerve to dress up and look exactly like me. What were they hoping to accomplish?

I'm not even sure if this guy is a regular guy or a member of Cipher. He seemed to spring up out of nowhere. Right when I was so close to saving the last of the pokemon. Is it a coincidence that this guy has the last shadow pokemon? He COULD be a member of Cipher, or he could be a bum from Pyrite that won his Togetic from the Colosseum when Miror B. was the crime lord of the town.

...no. I'm sure of it. This isn't a bum. This has to be a member of Cipher.

I wish I had made Rui stay with her grandparents. But she's so stubborn and insisted she come along as well. And once she makes up her mind, there's no changing it.

I have to settle this. I gripped the handles of my hoverbike tightly and sped even further to the Outskirt Stand.

Whoever you are, I'm gunning for you. You had better watch out because I've never lost a fight. And I won't lose this one.

Especially with my life...and possibly Rui...on the line.

_Rui's POV_

I don't need to have any arcane powers to know that Wes is nervous. I've been with him since the very beginning of our journey. I know the signs. He's gritting his teeth, he has a look in his eye that can kill and he's holding the handles so tightly, his knuckles are visible under his gloves.

Truth is I'm scared as well.

Someone impersonating Wes? I never could have seen this coming. It's very freaky and creepy.

But something else is bothering me. How did he get away with this? Even if the media didn't know what pokemon Wes used, everyone in this region knew we were a pair of heroes. Wes and I went everywhere together. Seeing us apart for more than ten minutes was impossible on our journey. Wouldn't the people of Phenac have known it wasn't really Wes if I wasn't there?

Wes and I are close. We aren't lovers or boyfriend and girlfriend but we've developed a bond with each other that takes up a step from friends. I care for him a lot more than I show and...yes, I do have a crush on him.

I know it's likely unrequited, but...I know a lot about him than he cared to reveal. He's never allowed himself to get close to people before. I'm the first and most likely the only one he showed his true colours to. I take comfort in that.

Wes is my hero. This jerk who's impersonating him has to be taken down.

I won't let anyone hurt him anymore!

_Normal POV_

Wes cut the gas on his bike and stood up. They had finally made it. The crummy little Outskirt Stand where the impostor was last seen. As Wes put the parking break on, he felt a little nostalgic. _The story ends where it began _and this is really where the whole adventure had started. It felt weird that this was where it was going to end as well.

Rui climbed out of the passenger's seat and stretched. Wes scanned the area and noticed that someone new was standing out beside the locomotive car. He could see Willie, as usual, but there was also a news lady and a camera guy. He moved closer to see what they were filming and he felt a cold shock wash over him.

It was _him._

Him as in _himself._

Wes snarled, suddenly overcome by anger. Rui heard the news lady talking and hurried after Wes to confront the impostor. The pair ignored the news lady completely and approached Fein.

"Rui! Thank goodness you're alright!" the impostor said.

"Huh?" Rui sounded confused. "Who the heck are you? And why are you dressed like Wes?"

"My dear, I AM Wes. The one you're with is the impostor, not me. I'm not the one attacking people. He is!"

"Liar!" Rui shouted. Wes felt his stomach turn over. So this guy really was trying to pretend he was him. Was he obsessed or something?

"I'm not lying, Rui! Why would I lie to you? You're the only one I trust in this whole region!" the impostor said, almost pleadingly. "Rui, I love you!"

Rui opened her mouth to retort, but the words were stuck in her throat. Her face turned pink as the impostor Wes started towards her.

"I'm the real Wes. That Wes you arrived here with had tried to kill me before when you had your back turned. I had to flee and he took my place. Rui...you believe me, don't you?"

"I..."

"Rui, don't listen to him!" Wes yelled. "You know I'm the real Wes! He's trying to use your emotions and fool you!"

Rui looked between the two Weses. One who said he loved her and one she arrived with. Was the Wes they found the real one? As much as Rui wanted to believe Wes loved her, she didn't want to fall into a trap.

She studied their arms and noticed they both seemed to have a snag machine. It was impossible to tell who was the real one at a glance. Wes noticed that Rui was hesitating and cringed. He had to take matters into his own hands.

"So you really believe you're me, don't you? You piece of shit, don't try and push this on her! We'll settle this one on one." He pulled Espeon's pokeball from his pocket and took his usual battle pose.

"You want to battle? Fine! But I've never lost. And I won't lose this. Not for Rui," the other Wes said, shooting a look at the girl. "I'll win this, Rui. And then we'll leave. This impostor will be arrested and we'll head back to your grandparents' place for a rest."

Rui didn't answer. In her mind, she was confused. This other Wes seemed to know all about her and had the same fierce determination that she was so familiar with. Was he really the real Wes?

"Go Espeon!"

"Go Armaldo!"

_"What in the..." _Rui stared at the opposing pokemon in surprise. The real Wes always had an Espeon, as well as Umbreon, but never an Armaldo. _"So the Wes that loves me is the liar...why...am I disappointed?"_

Both opponents had fierce pokemon. The battle was very close and soon they were both down to their last pokemon. Rui knew the truth now. The one who loved her was the impostor...and probably said he loved her to try and steal her away from Wes. The very thought made her sick.

"Go Umbreon!"

"Togetic, it's all you!"

_"Togetic!" _Rui blinked her eyes and was sure of what she was seeing. "Wes!" she yelled, looking at the one behind Umbreon. "That Togetic! It's-"

"Shadow," Wes said for her. "Now to you believe I'm the real Wes?" He didn't wait for an answer, just ordered Umbreon to use Confuse Ray and got a pokeball ready. The impostor looked desperate for a way out. He turned to look at Rui to plead with her some more.

"I am the REAL Wes! Rui, I just managed to snag this Togetic from someone who was using it!"

"STOP LYING!" Rui screamed. "Stop trying to win my trust! You're nothing but a FAKE! I know the truth now. I know that the real Wes would never beg or plead with me...and..." a lump formed in her throat. "...he doesn't really love me anyway."

The fake Wes stared at Rui in shock. Wes took the opportunity to snag the Togetic and ended the battle. Rui's last words echoed in his head and he felt a strange sadness.

It was over. The fake Wes fell to his knees and pounded the ground with his fists. "Damnit! I had everything planned perfectly! I was suppose to take your glory and your life! And that meant your girl!"

"Moron." Wes walked over and yanked off the wig, revealing dark hair underneath. "She's not my girl. Your plans to seduce her were a failure. She knows who the real me is."

Rui smiled, despite the lump in her throat growing bigger. Fein, the fake Wes, screamed in frustration and fled the scene with Sherles and Johnson running after him. Wes used his PDA to transfer the Togetic to his PC system and faced Rui, who was wiping her eyes.

"Rui, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah...I just feel a little stupid. I mean, that guy...really thought we were involved with each other. H-He even told me he loved me!" Rui laughed a forced laugh. "But I know the truth. You're not close to people, Wes. I know you don't really love me or want any involvement with me beyond friends...I feel stupid for almost falling for his scheme."

"Why?" Wes asked her.

"Because...if I had believed him, you would have been called out for being the fake..." Rui started.

"No, I mean why did you almost fall for his scheme?" Wes asked.

"Oh..." Rui looked down at her boots and dug her toes in the sand. "Um...well...since we're probably not going to see each other again after this...the truth is, Wes, I like you as more than a friend. I've...got a crush on you." Her face burned hotly. "But I know you don't feel the same way. I'm just honoured you allowed me to get close to you, Wes. I'm really glad we got to travel together and stop Cipher. And I hope that you'll get to live the life you've always wanted to live. You're a great battler and you've even earned the respect of Ho-Oh and Celebi. You're a very special person and I'm so glad I got to know you."

Wes didn't say a word, but he did feel a blush spread across his face during Rui's little speech. So she thought he was a special person? No one had ever told him that before. The notation was new and unfamiliar, but not unpleasant.

The problem was he wasn't sure if he felt the same. The only humans that had been in his life for as long as he can remember were the guys of Team Snagem. Love was an emotion that never reached the inner walls of that place. He did consider his feelings for his pokemon to be love, but that was a completely different love from the one Rui was craving.

However, that didn't mean he couldn't try and that she didn't deserve it. She was the only person in the region who could look beyond his Ex Team Snagem Member status and see him for who he was: a normal seventeen year old guy who just happened to be closer to pokemon than humans. And she accepted that as if it was a perfectly normal thing when it wasn't.

"Rui..." he started.

"No, Wes." Rui shook her head. "For the first time in your life, you're free. Just bring me back to my grandparents' place and we can go our separate ways." The lump in her throat forced the tears out from her eyes. "But please don't forget me."

"Rui, will you listen?" Wes snapped and then immediately regretted his tone. "I...you're right. I'm not close to people at all. You were the first person I ever got close to. Can't it stay that way? If I go back to the world with just Umbreon and Espeon and the few battlers we've picked up, I'm going to keep shutting humans out from my life. I...don't want that," he mumbled. "It's a lonely life, Rui. Being with pokemon helps lift the loneliness, but it still hurts when there's no conversation or emotions, except protectiveness. Couldn't we stay together?"

"Wes...what about your freedom? Your life? Any dreams you ever had for your future?" Rui asked.

"I didn't have any," Wes confessed. "When I found out what Team Snagem was doing to those pokemon, I just wanted to get out. I didn't really think about where I was going or what I wanted to do. I just knew what I wanted to run from."

"Oh..."

"Rui, couldn't we give it a try? You and me together?" Wes asked in a voice he did not recognize. She did recognize it, however, and her tears stopped.

The voice was a timid one.

"If you really want to, Wes...then I'd be glad to," Rui replied, wiping her eyes and smiling a real genuine smile.

It wasn't a petty romance from a fairy tale and Rui never expected it to be. But she knows that, for however long they're together (be it forever or just a short time), Wes will heal his emotional scars and lay his ghosts to rest. And she will help him. He will never forget her.

Another thing Rui was sure of was there was no obsession about what she and Wes shared. Fein was obsessed with everything about Wes - including her. What they had was warm and nurturing. It was the kind of attention Wes needed and Rui gave.

It was real love.

* * *

**Gah, I started to doze off sometime after the battle so the rest of it seems so mushy, which is NOT how I like to write ColosseumShipping. Other pairings, maybe. This one? No. Nono. Next time I write ColosseumShipping, I'm drinking coffee and listening to non sad or sappy songs (listening to I, Zero, Your Fellow really made me feel all sad and mushy). **

**Although, since we don't know what Wes's past was really like before he joined Team Snagem, it could work. Possibly. Maybe. I'll let you decide. I'm going to bed soon.**


	30. Last Hope: WesxRui

**Theme: **94. Last Hope  
**Pairing: **WesxRui (ColosseumShipping)  
**Summary: **_Orre's options are few. In their dire need, the people must rely as an ex criminal and a perky youth to save them from Cipher.  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **This has no connections to the other three WesxRui themes. Also, this was suggested by Regii and I liked the sound of it. Plus I'm in the mood to write something serious and I just happened to be playing Colosseum right now. HAHA.

Currently, there are five themes that have no plans for them. They are _Smile, Fortitude, Dying, Family _and _In The Storm. _This is your last chance to make a request, lovely readers! If you want me to write something using any of these themes (your choice as well), now's your chance! Just remember, I do NOT write anime pairings. I will, however, write any game and manga pairing (within reason, that is).

* * *

At first you didn't know why you took the snag machine. It was too small to be destroyed by the blast and leaving it behind would have been an act of stupidity. But it's not like you wanted it. You had seen first hand how the tool was used for evil and how it seemingly had no use for the ways of good. You just wanted to destroy it beyond repair so that the likes of Team Snagem would never be able to steal pokemon again.

It later became an ironic tool of fate.

You wore it on your arm, thinking it would not be a good idea to leave it behind. The weight on your arm felt familiar...heavy. You had once thrown many a snag ball to capture pokemon from their trainers and you had not grown used to your arm without that machine on it.

You hated it.

But then you met _her. _Her, the girl with the childish pigtails and those deep blueish purple eyes who could see things people weren't meant to see. You unknowingly saved her from a bad fate and she asked you to come along for the ride, sending you both into a wild adventure that completely contradicts your status as an ex member of Team Snagem. It was her who had suggested using the snag machine to steal back the shadow pokemon and you realized that, for the first time, your skills could be put to the use of _goodness _and _hope. _

And the snag machine's weight was more welcomed than scorned.

Some time into your journey, you realized how much your destiny was tied into all this. Even if the right authorities managed to capture Cipher, how could they tell the difference between shadow pokemon and regular ones? That was Rui's purpose and yours was to capture them so they weren't being misused. It was both of you who came up with the way to restoring those pokemon back to normal. You two became heroes in a way no one else could. No one else could tell which pokemon were shadowed or steal them away from their trainers so that their OT data was completely changed.

Was it fate that brought you and Rui together? It seemed no mere coincidence that you two had the abilities it took to stop Cipher. Neither of you could have done it on your own. You were Orre's last hope to salvation.

And as time went on, you began to wonder if you had any hope for a normal life. Your feelings for your partner had developed into strong emotions to the point you disliked being apart from her. It was completely unlike the feelings you had for your valuable friends, Umbreon and Espeon. But you had been with Team Snagem your whole life and they weren't exactly the ideal parent figures. You had no idea what these feelings were suppose to be.

Your last hope to have a normal life starts when Cipher's downfall has been asserted. And you would go with Rui to her home town and learn everything you missed in your childhood.

* * *

**I rather like this piece. It seems to fit with Wes's mysterious image. **


	31. Stripes: BluexSilver

**Theme: **49. Stripes  
**Pairing: **BluexSilver (ChoosenShipping)  
**Summary: **_It was official. Silver would never ever shop for clothes with Blue again.  
_**Rating: **K plus for Silver's mouth

**Extra Summary: **_In which we torture Silver. ;D_

* * *

"Ooh, look at this! Won't this look awesome on me, Silver?"

"Sure, Blue. Whatever."

"Silver! You're not even paying attention!"

"Huh, what? Did you say something?"

"Oh you suck! Here, hold my bags."

"Wait, what are you-HEY! Blue these are heavy!"

"Oh well! Now pay attention to the stuff I pick out! I need a good opinion on which ones look good on me!"

"If you wanted an opinion, why didn't you ask Yellow to come with you?"

"Because Yellow's a tomboy and you're my boyfriend. Now stop whining."

"Oh thanks, that's REALLY loving of you."

"Sorry, baby. I thought you were the only one allowed to judge my looks, being that you're my lover and all..."

"Hey, what-"

"I guess next time I should ask GREEN to come along so he can give me an opinion on what makes me a beautiful woman..."

"Blue! You're not serious, are you? Ask THAT bastard?"

"Maybe."

"Alright, alright I'll pay attention! Stop using blackmail on me!"

"Great! Ooh! Check this out, Silver! These pajamas would look amazing on you!"

"You've GOT to be joking. I don't like stripes."

"But they're blue striped!"

"I don't care in this case! Blue and white stripes are...UGH!"

"I don't care either. How about blue and silver stripes?"

"...I am never shopping with you ever again."

* * *

**LMAO. Couldn't resist. Seriously, what else could be written with a theme called Stripes?**

**Sorry about the anti OldRivalShipping hint. It IS one of my most hated manga ships, though (Haughty comes as a close second).**


	32. Dreams: AzelfxDarkrai

**Theme: **39. Dreams  
**Pairing: **AzelfxDarkrai (DarkWillShipping)  
**Summary: **_We haunt your dreams. We make you scared. We will devour you whole.  
_**Rating: **T for death, some gore and language. Also very slight sexual implications.

**AN: **Happy (late) Halloween, muffins. This is one of two special Halloween themes I have for you. This one's the darker and meant to be more scarier theme while the next one will be more light hearted and Simpsons-like funny. This theme is also the sequel to a oneshot I wrote in April, entitled _The Demon And The Harlot. _I would HIGHLY recommend you read that before proceeding to read this. However, if you are at all uncomfortable with seduction, unholy apparaitions (I had to put this here) or mild sex scenes, I would suggest you skip both and proceed to the next chapter and read _Mischief Managed. _

Also a reminder! This is another gijinka story! The characters are all pokemon but in a human form. NOT anthropomorphic or having certain pokemon 'parts' (tails, ears, etc) attached. Instead, they would wear clothes similar to a pokemon's design, have hair colour the same as the design and so forth. My Azelf, for example, has blue hair, golden eyes and wears a skirt with two 'tails' flowing behind her. :) My Darkrai has long white hair, sky blue eyes and wears a black tattered cloak with a high red collar. Since he's a demon, his hands have sharp claws that are similar to his pokemon design.

With those details out of the way, I hope you enjoy this. ;D

**Mood Music: **The Beast and the Harlot - Avenged Sevenfold

* * *

"The sun is setting..." a naked woman mused with a smile. She stared at the glowing orb as it settled into the dark horizon in the west. Soon the stars would come out and the moon would cast its pale gaze on the land. That would signal when she and her king would go to work. To prey on the humans and devour them whole, both physically and spiritually...the woman got a sadistic delight out of it. And her husband, the Reaper of Dreams, grew ever stronger from it. Soon he would be powerful enough to become a god. He would spread fear around the whole world and not only this pathetic region of Sinnoh. And she, his harlot queen, would be his ruler through it all.

Once a human, Azelf had been tainted by the reaper of dreams, Darkrai, to become his lustful queen and assist him in spreading fear. She could still walk in sunlight and, in all appearances, she looked like a human. But she had the power to see into people's minds and put herself in their dreams as well. A blessing from her husband, she called it. Other humans would have thought she was evil and cursed.

They don't know what it's like to receive such power and glory, especially among the most feared beings ever. It was like an engulfing cloud of smoke that lifted her so high and made her feel like a goddess. Her husband had made sure of it.

Azelf turned and disappeared inside the reaches of Turnback Cave. The hellhounds and lingering spirits stared after her but none dared to try and harm her. They knew by now who she was and anyone who dared to harm Darkrai's queen would suffer the consequences. The harlot queen didn't stop walking until she found the room she was looking for: the chamber she and Darkrai shared. Her husband slumbered most of the day to ensure he was rested enough, but she knew he would be waking soon. She crawled on top of him and started kissing him all over. The demon growled before opening his eyes.

"Trying to seduce me, my harlot?"

"Never, my demon," Azelf replied before sliding her body along his and meeting his eyes. It was a daily ritual for them. "Merely trying to make you feel good."

Darkrai grunted. "You do it well. Now lie back and fulfill your purpose."

"Pleasure me. Hurt me. _Fuck me._"

It was an unholy union that was only approved by the demon goddess herself.

* * *

Much later, the duo emerged from Turnback Cave. The sun had gone down and the night was as black as sin. It was their favourite night. No moonlight to cast shadows and no stars to serve as hope. Darkrai could already feel the despair lingering on the air from miles away.

Beside him, Azelf stood proudly in a revealing tight black outfit that hardly did anything to cover her breasts and lower regions. Her hair was tied up in a thick ponytail that flowed neatly down her back. With the hellish outfit on her body and the evil look in her eye so elaborate, she looked every inch a hell queen.

They needed no signal. Darkrai took Azelf's small hand into his claw and they vanished into darkness. Their target? A pitiful village called Sunyshore that was filled with sun worshippers. Light was their friend. But tonight...the darkness would be their enemy.

"Go forth, my harlot. Find one with vulnerable dreams and make them weak."

Azelf entered the village. She wrinkled her nose in disgust when she smelled the scent of what was called 'holy water' sprinkled on the doorsteps of every home. There had to be at least one house in this stupid village that didn't use that kind of barrier. Someone as unholy as her would dissipate on contact with that blessed substance.

Luckily for her and her lover, she found one home without the water. She smiled maliciously and used her ability to seep into the home. It belonged to a man and it looked like he lived alone...for the most part. Azelf had seen him before. He was in the nightmares of many women. If he were a woman, Azelf would have called him a whore. He seduced pretty women and used their body for as long as they pleased him and then tossed them aside like fishbones. Many women still longed for him, which made Azelf and Darkrai laugh.

A vicious man. Azelf had to give him credit for being in a village of sun worshippers when his heart was clearly dark.

The large man was asleep in his bed. Sure enough, he had a woman beside him. Azelf crept in and used the ability of her husband to enter his dreams. As expected, they were filled with many beautiful women. Azelf manifested herself as a part of his dream and played her role of seducer.

"Oh Tyranitar, Tyranitar..." she cooed. The man turned to her and smiled, pleased that a whore was in his dream. He liked whores. They were experienced and were looking for a good time, like he was. And she seemed so real...

He reached for her. The moment he touched her, his whole dream turned dark and cold. Azelf smiled a smile that was laced with pure evil, knowing her husband was about to do his work. Tyranitar let her go with a jolt and struggled.

"This...what is this? This is my dream! WAKE ME UP! MILOTIC, WAKE ME UP!"

"Sorry, honey," Azelf said, running a fingernail down his cheek. "Business as usual."

"Wh-what business? You're just a figment of my imagination! As soon as I wake up, you'll vanish!"

"Nu-uh. Sorry." Azelf's smile widened as Darkrai entered, his claws poised up and ready to kill. "You fell asleep and now you'll wake up dead."

"D-Darkrai...the reaper of dreams..." Tyranitar stuttered.

"Your worst nightmare," Darkrai smiled. He ripped his claws through Tyranitar's stomach and neck. Blood spurted everywhere and the big lusting man screamed out loud. His lover awoke to see him bleeding all over her and the bed. She screamed as well - not knowing what else to do.

By this time, Darkrai and Azelf had come out of the dream world and were back in the bedroom in time to see Tyranitar draw in his last breath and die. They decided to kill the woman as well. Not out of pity that she saw something so traumatizing and horrifying...but because they couldn't give a damn and one more life didn't make much of a difference.

With the blood of two more mortals on their hands, Azelf turned to her demon husband and allowed him to lick the sweet liquid off her body.

"We can't stay here. Most of the houses in this place have holy water crap and it's making me sick. Let's find another village to feast in."

Darkrai licked his lips, sucking in the blood. "Sweet, but not as good as yours. Let's move"

And the unholy couple vanished to haunt and kill another victim through their dreams.

* * *

**Goddamnit, this is so very late. **

**I'll have Mischief Managed up later this week.**

**Sorry it's late. I got lazy early last week and then I hosted a Halloween party and didn't have time to write.**


	33. Break Away: EmeraldxJasmine

**Theme: **6. Break Away  
**Pairings: **First it's MortyxJasmine, then it turns to MortyxErika and JasminexEmerald  
**Summary: **_If it weren't for Emerald, Jasmine wouldn't have known how to break away from her melancholy.  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **I had no ideas for Mischief Managed yet. And I was struggling last week with my baby bird's sudden death, so I wasn't able to write much. So I'll play it by ear.

By the way, I have no clue what kind of shipping name EmeraldxJasmine should have. Someone wanna give me an idea?

* * *

"So does this mean it's over?" Jasmine whispered in her soft voice. Standing opposite her was the ghost gym leader, Morty of Ecruteak. They had been dating for four months and Jasmine had sworn they were the best months of her life. Now Morty had come to tell her that he wanted to break up.

"Why?"

Morty shuffled his feet in the dirt and bit his lip. Jasmine braced herself for what she knew was bad news.

"Jasmine, before I tell you, I just want you to know that it's not you, it's me. You're a wonderful girl but we can't fool ourselves into thinking we're actually happy. That's why..."

"What?"

"There's someone else."

The perfect world Jasmine envisioned herself in suddenly burst. Had he been cheating on her? How long had this been going on for? And, most importantly, who was she?

Jasmine struggled to speak, but her voice refused to form the words. She staggered, suddenly dizzy, but there was nothing to grab. Morty saw this and his eyes widened.

"Jasmine?"

"Just get out of here!" Jasmine screamed. Forcing herself to stand and move, she ran into her gym and locked the doors. She then ran to her room and flung herself on her bed, staying there for a very long time.

* * *

A gloomy sadness as dim as twilight settled over Jasmine's soul. She wasn't battling well and took more time off than necessary while trying to cope with the pain of the break up. It caused a lot of problems with trainers who wanted the Mineral badge and she had to force herself to battle, often messing up and losing easily. Her pokemon, gym trainers and sailor friends were all worried about her. Her melancholy steadily grew worse when Erika, the grass gym leader from Kanto, was spotted more frequently in Olivine's harbour and heading in the direction of Ecruteak. The young lass who trained at Jasmine's gym confirmed that Erika was the woman Morty was seeing. She spotted them just outside the Battle Frontier, watching the sunset and holding hands.

Nothing seemed to cheer Jasmine up now. She only grew sadder, less confident and more withdrawn. How could she have called Erika her friend?

But a gym leader has more responsibilities than to a gym and a badge. When Team Rocket attacked the lighthouse, she was quickly called to stop them. Jasmine tried to put up a good fight with her beloved Steelix, but was forced to surrender when they held Amphy, her Ampharos friend and lighthouse beacon, hostage.

"What are you after?" she demanded.

"None of your business, lady!"

"I have every right to know! That's my friend you're holding!" she screamed. Unfortunately for her, she didn't realize how cruel Team Rocket really was. Irritated with Jasmine's resistance and the struggling pokemon they held, the grunt injected Amphy with a slow reacting poison that made Amphy sick.

_"I'm such a failure. My own boyfriend left me for one of my friends. I can't battle properly anymore. And now Amphy's being kidnapped...and I'm helpless!"_

Tears stung her eyes and threatened to fall. Just before Team Rocket could leave with Amphy, a group of young adults had found their way up the top of the lighthouse.

"Arcapeon, stop them!"

"Sutaro, lend a hand!"

"Pika, use thunder bolt!"

"Chuchu, help Pika out!"

"Chaka, use blaze kick!"

"Zuzu, use hydro pump!"

"Charizard, flamethrower!"

"Jiggly, body slam!"

"Chimlord, fire punch!"

"Roo, use the Dia-special-mach-one-and-only razor leaf!"

"Lopunny, hit them with focus blast!"

"Bay, use vine whip!"

"Vio, silver wind!"

"Hey! There's a girl in trouble!"

That last one came from a short teenaged boy with a wicked hairstyle and a green jewel on his forehead. The others behind him were commanding their pokemon to attack the Salamence the grunt was attached to. Try as they might, the Salamence was too strong and the grunt refused to let Amphy go. Through her tears, Jasmine recognized Gold and Crystal and realized that the others must be Dex holders as well. But she was too afraid to feel relieved.

"Please, someone help Amphy!" she cried, the tears spilling over.

The one with the green jewel saw her cry and reacted immediately. Growling furiously, he bounced up using hidden spring shoes and sucker punched the grunt in the face. The grunt grimaced in pain and dropped Amphy right away. Jasmine hastily positioned herself and caught both the boy and Ampharos, a look of joy replacing her sadness.

"THIS ISN'T OVER, DEX HOLDERS!"

"AH SHAT YER MOUTHS!" Gold taunted. Crystal couldn't help laughing at her husband's antics, despite her serious nature. Jasmine smiled and looked at the teen with the croissant hairstyle who was blushing up at her. Odd, he felt so light compared to Amphy...

"Yo, Emerald!"

A girl with wild hair and the prettiest blue eyes Jasmine had ever seen rushed over. She looked a bit like a wild animal and Jasmine couldn't tell if she was angry or if that was her normal look.

"Trying to be a hero? Weren't you even thinking about how dangerous that was?"

"Oh leave me alone, Sapphire..." Emerald grumbled. Jasmine felt a wave of gratitude towards him and gave him a hug. Emerald blushed a bright red that was visible to the other dex holders. A few of them snickered and Crystal facepalmed.

"Boy, he moves fast..." she muttered.

Jasmine blushed but brushed it off. It's not like he was hitting on her! He had just saved Amphy. A very thoughtful thing, but it was for the pokemon's sake and not hers. Still, she did owe him and since he was already in her arms, she held him closer and gave him a hug.

"Thank you so much...you saved Amphy's life. I am truly in your debt."

"Ah..." Emerald blushed. "I-It was no problem..."

"Aww, is Emmy-wemmy shy?" a red eyed man teased. Emerald growled, raised his arm and sent a sucker punch into his face. "OW!"

"Shut up, Ruby! I see how you are around Sapph!" he yelled back. Jasmine giggled and felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Joy.

Humour.

Laughter.

_No more sadness._

For once, she forgot about Morty and the break up. But her thoughts grew worried when she looked at Amphy and saw how sick he was growing. Without an antidote, he would surely...

Jasmine frowned and put her hand to Amphy's forehead after letting Emerald down. He was burning up and he seemed to be wheezing. The situation didn't appear too serious, but Jasmine never liked to take chances. She knew about the pharmacy in Cianwood across the sea and cursed herself for not having a water or flying type pokemon to get her there. At the same time, she couldn't leave Amphy alone but what if Team Rocket came back?

Perhaps the dex holders could help her...?

The steel gym leader stood and faced the dex holders. Some of them were familiar (Gold and Crystal and she also recognized Red and Green from the Pokemon League and Gym Leaders' counsel) while others were ones she had never met before. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak.

"Thank you...all of you. The Lighthouse is safe and so is Olivine. But..." Jasmine glanced at Amphy. "Those horrid Rockets gave some type of strange poison to Amphy." Here, Jasmine paused and looked back at the dex holders. "Normal antidotes won't work. Please, may I ask you to go to the pharmacy in Cianwood and bring back some medicine?"

"Sure, Jasmine," Gold grinned. "No way we can let a sick pokemon go. Right guys?"

"Of course!" Red said.

"Um..." Jasmine looked down. "There is one other thing. I couldn't stand up to those Rockets alone. May I ask if someone could stay with me, in case they come back? I don't want to be alone..." she mumbled.

"I will!" Emerald yelled before anyone else could say anything. Jasmine smiled happily and Crystal rolled her eyes.

"Don't do anything stupid, Emmy."

* * *

He didn't.

While the other dex holders were gone, Emerald entertained Jasmine with his gadgets and pokemon. His Mr. Mime created illusions that startled and mystified Jasmine to the point of amazement. Even though Amphy was suffering from the illness, he seemed to enjoy the show and that helped lift Jasmine's spirits.

Jasmine made a simple meal of hot soup and garlic bread (the soup was also made to help Amphy combat the illness until the medicine arrived). Emerald ate every last bite while still sharing a conversation with her. Jasmine confided why her spirits had been so down, even before Amphy's poisoning, and Emerald got mad.

"What a louse! How could anyone cheat on a pretty girl like you? It's not right at all!" he shouted. Jasmine covered her face in embarrassment and Emerald's look softened. "Sorry...it just doesn't seem right. It's not like you guys had a bad relationship, right?"

"I thought it was good," Jasmine confessed. "It was short but I was happy with him. Then he told me he was seeing someone else. It probably wouldn't have hurt so much if that someone else wasn't one of my close friends." Jasmine looked down at her hands. "She was the one who was inspiring me to try Sinnoh's super contests and to wear more colourful things to gain more confidence...when I found out she was the one Morty was seeing, I slipped further into a dark sadness. I really thought something was wrong with me."

"Like what?"

Jasmine shrugged. "Either I wasn't pretty enough or confident enough to be a good girlfriend to him. Maybe he likes a girl who likes flowers and Erika is called a nature loving princess. I can hardly keep the house plants I own from withering..."

"It's still not right," Emerald argued. "I would vouch my Frontier Symbols he just couldn't commit to a nice and pretty girl like you."

"Emerald!" Jasmine blushed.

"It's the truth," Emerald said before taking a bite of his bread. "There's nothing wrong with you," he continued after swallowing. "If there's anything wrong with someone...well, just look at me."

"You?" Jasmine questioned.

Now it was Emerald's turn to blush. He dropped his 'magic' extending arms and platform shoes to show Jasmine his real height. He didn't even come up to her waistline.

"I look like a little kid, but I'm frigging nineteen...my height's always been a big problem for me. Even my own relatives didn't want me after my parents died," he confessed. "They even accused me of taking advantage of pokemon. If I needed help reaching something, one of my relatives' pokemon would always have to help me. When they accused me of using pokemon for my own needs, I refused to get close to them because I thought I would hurt them," he added, looking down.

Jasmine felt tears in her eyes again. "Oh Emerald...I'm so sorry..."

"I don't want pity," Emerald mumbled.

"I can't help it. You're a very sweet guy. Such horrible things should not have happened to you," Jasmine said firmly, wiping her eyes with her napkin. "Thank goodness it's all in the past now, right?"

"Same with that Morty guy. From now on, he's in your past," Emerald retorted, pulling his platform shoes and extending arms back on. "I've gotten over my past because the dex holders are my friends and Crystal's like my big sister," he explained. "Since Gold is her husband, he's sorta my big brother too. And that SoulSilver insists on calling me cute every chance she gets," he added, making a face. "I'm not cute!"

"Well, you are, a little..." Jasmine said with a smile. "But I would have to say you're more charming."

"R-Really?"

"Uh huh." Jasmine got up to put her dishes away in the nearby kitchen.

"Hey, if you think I'm charming enough, will you let me take you to dinner tomorrow night then?" Emerald blurted out. Jasmine's heart began to pound and her eyes widened.

"You're...asking me out on a date?"

"Yep!"

_"That's certainly to the point," _Jasmine thought. _"And I'm no longer with Morty...well, why not?"_

"Very well, then. I accept, Emerald," she replied.

Big heroes often come in the most unlikely of packages or sizes and Emerald was an example of one. He pulled Jasmine out of her despair and melancholy without much effort. She couldn't break away from her melancholy caused by Morty on her own and, without Emerald, she would have only sunk further into depression.

Jasmine slid her arms around Emerald for the warmth and love she was craving. In response, Emerald leaned up and boldly kissed her on the lips.

_"Thank you, Emerald...for being here when I needed someone._

_"Morty...I've finally broke away from you. Good luck with Erika."_

* * *

**Ending is derp as my lover would say. I might revamp this at one point. For some reason, I'm not that happy with it.**

**EmeraldxJasmine is one of my two crack PokeSpe pairings. Regii thought of it. **

**So what did I think of?**

**ClairxPearl! I've got a theme for them too!**

**Immature moment: lol, 69 reviews. -teeheehee-  
**

**Anon reviewer response!**

**IkariShippingFreak: **I wanted to answer you before but you're anonymous! First of all, I was very happy to do the SpecialShipping theme, so it was no problem at all. 

Unless you read my LiveJournal shipping lists (one of everything I support and one of everything I don't), you wouldn't have known that OldRivalShipping is one of my more hated shippings, so you're not inconsiderate! Don't worry! :) No blame rests on your shoulders.

I have two more SpecialShipping themes planned. :D Both of them stay with the innocent cuteness Red and Yellow exhibit.

My biggest ambition? To be a published writer! :D Hearing you say I should be one steels my ambition. Thank you!

And thank you so much for reviewing a lot! I really like reading your reviews! They make me smile. :)

**Wadshipping, lol. Maybe I should try it. :D**


	34. Dying: ClairxPearl

**Theme: **43. Dying  
**Pairing: **ClairxPearl (HastyDracoShipping)  
**Summary: **_Her cousin is an outlaw and now her grandfather is dying. Thankfully Pearl is there to ease the burden on Clair's shoulders.  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **Yay, other PokeSpe crack pairing!

I've always loved the dragon clan in Blackthorn City and I tend to use them for my own 'trainer image'. Why aren't they used more? There's so much material that could be made from their history and how they work today.

Oh well, guess it's my forte. ;D

Warning: Theme is sad.

* * *

Although the sun was bright and high over the mountain city, Blackthorn was under a state of depression and sadness. The dragon master, the elderly man who lead the dragon clan and was respected as the mayor of the city, was dying. Those who thought the great trainer, Lance of the Elite Four, would appear had their hopes crushed when the news reported he was in jail for trying to destroy the world.

There was only one person now who could take up the burden of handling the dragon tamer clan and guard Blackthorn City. However, there were many who doubted her prowess and ability, including her own grandfather.

Clair, the granddaughter of the dragon elder, was down in the Dragon's Den at her grandfather's side. Even though the old man was dying, he did not stop reprimending her and being stern with her.

"You still do not know how to treat pokemon properly, Clair," the old man said and he began to cough. "Your emotions are tightly locked up. The only time I have ever seen you show any emotion at all is when you are with the blond boy from Sinnoh."

Clair blushed and wiped her eyes. Her grandfather was referring to Pearl, the Sinnoh dex holder who had stayed around after the war on Team Rocket ended. He seemed really taken with her but Clair had no idea how to respond to his efforts to woo her. Her father had been a much harsher man than her grandfather and far too proud of their heritage. He had raised his daughter to never show signs of weakness or softness. The downfall was that Clair had never been hugged, kissed or told, "I love you," by her own parents and she had grown into a woman with a heart locked tighter than a treasure chest.

"He is a good man to have around. Your one good move was inducting him into our clan, Clair."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Clair said respectfully.

"He should stay around...the good lords of dragons know we need more members like him to continue having a strong and proud clan..." the elder began coughing again and Clair's shoulders drooped. He wasn't going to say anything to praise her. Even in a dying state, she could not make him proud. She could not measure to the power Lance once had or to the greatness her grandfather had.

"Clair, we both know this is it for me..." the elder sighed. "Your outlaw cousin should never be permitted back into our clan, do you understand me? He must never...gain the leadership of our clan..."

"I understand, Grandfather..."

"There is no choice now for me...no one who has come forward was able to pass my tests and it is too late. I suppose that SoulSilver might have become the new leader if she had come forward, but it is too late now..."

Clair nodded, remembering her childhood friend. SoulSilver had become a dex holder but before she did, she had lived in Blackthorn City as a child of clan members. The girl was harsh and violent at times but she did have a good heart that shone through when she allowed it to. The last Clair had heard of her, she was traveling with a man by the name of HeartGold. No one knew when she would be coming back and no one knew where they were now.

"So, my granddaughter, I must make you the new leader. You are already the gym leader and shrine maiden...but now you must accept more responsibility..." the elder began coughing, the sound revertabrating from deep inside his chest. He reached up with shaking arms to take off the dragon fang that was tied around his neck and gave it to Clair. "You know the story of this fang. Now you must carry it until the day you die. Only then should you pass it on to the one you choose to lead our people..."

"Yes, Grandfather," Clair said, taking the fang and putting it around her neck. The fang was so old but its legend well known. It was said to be a fang from a Dragonite who had put his life on the line to rescue their ancient ancestor from a terrible storm at sea. Their ancestor, overcome with gratitude towards the dragon, had sworn to teach people the ways of them and worship their power and kindness. That was the start of their clan hundreds of years ago.

"Clair...my grandchild..."

"What is it, Grandfather?" Clair felt a stab of panic. Was this his final moment?

"I am fading...I want my final words to you to be ones of encouragement...you must open your heart, Clair. Let people into your life and help you. The ways of your father was wrong. You must be proud and strong, but you must also be kind...to your pokemon...and to yourself..."

His words were just barely above a whisper. The tears Clair had been holding back suddenly burst and she grabbed her grandfather's hand. "Grandpa! Please stay a little longer! I don't know if I can do this alone...!"

Her grandfather gave her a tiny smile. "My granddaughter...you are not alone. I have faith in you."

He gave one last shuddering sigh and closed his eyes. His hand grew cold in Clair's hands. He was gone.

* * *

_"You are not alone." _What did he mean by that?

Clair gave instructions for her grandfather to be buried in their family plot in a secluded area of the den. Once her instructions were given and she was no longer needed, she left the den and headed towards her mansion (also handed down generation after generation among clan owners). Pearl would be there and she really needed to see him. He couldn't be with her when she stood beside her grandfather because he had requested family only. She had missed him terribly.

A sudden realization gripped her. Could that be what her grandfather meant when he said she was not alone? That she had Pearl?

_"Rubbish!" _she could hear her father's sneering voice taunt her. _"If you have to rely on someone else to help you with your responsibilities, you're not strong enough to bear them! Grin and bear it or you're not a true dragon master!"_

Clair buried her face in her hands. Would her father's influence ever leave her? Everytime she tried to make a friend or ask for help, her father would always berate her for being weak. He didn't mind SoulSilver as much, because she was a member of the clan and seemed to be the kind of girl he wanted Clair to be. His influence scared all the males in the clan away from Clair, so no one even came close to passing off a compliment to her.

Except Pearl.

Now that her father was gone away, she had gradually allowed her to get close to Pearl. His friends, the other dex holders, all knew about his feelings towards her and he made it pretty obvious towards her as well. Clair liked (_loved)_ him back but wasn't sure how to show it or how to react. SoulSilver once told her to let her feelings do the talking and Clair had no idea what she meant.

"Clair?"

Clair looked up and her tears spilled over again. Standing in front of her was Pearl, the only one stubborn enough to stay close to her. She flung her arms around him and sobbed.

"Pearl, he's gone!"

Pearl had expected this but he didn't expect Clair to actually fling herself at him. With loving arms, he held her gently and allowed her to sob her sadness out.

"Please...take me home..." she begged.

"Of course..." Pearl whispered. "You need to rest." He brushed a kiss on Clair's forehead and helped her get home. His mind was overcome with worry and he didn't know how Clair was going to handle these burdens by herself.

_"She shouldn't have to. Not if I'm here. There must be something I can do!"_

In the mansion, Clair sat at the kitchen table while Pearl made them both some coffee. As it brewed, Pearl also sat down and faced his crush. "Clair, I hate to ask, but what happens now?"

"The funeral, of course..." Clair said while toying the fang around her neck. "After that...I suppose I'll be doing double duty of gym leader and dragon clan leader. The gym is closed for now, for obvious reasons," she added warily, thinking of all the duties ahead of her.

Pearl thought hard. _"Wait a sec...I could become the gym leader! I know how to battle! If I just raise some dragon types along with my own pokemon, I could do it!"_

"Clair, why don't you let me run the gym for you? I know how to battle well! Really well! My dad's a Frontier Brain and he taught me everything he knows!"

"Pearl, the gym is my responsibility. I can't just give it to anyone," Clair said in a low voice.

"I'm not just anyone," Pearl replied stubbornly. "I'm the guy you let into your life, Clair. You let me live here in this house with you and you even got me into the clan. I'm not a stranger anymore!"

Clair digested his words but didn't say anything. The coffee maker stopped brewing and Pearl got them both mugs. While he prepared their caffeine, he kept talking.

"Clair, I have to tell you something. SoulSilver told me about your family...and your dad. That old fart is out of your life now, run off to Arceus-knows-where. You're alone but you're not really alone, because I'm not going anywhere. You need the help. If you try running both the gym and the clan at once, you'll go nuts from the stress. Your dad was wrong about asking for help being a sign of weakness. Besides..." Pearl paused to sit down again and take a sip of his coffee. "You did so much for me. I'd like to do something for you too."

Clair held the mug of coffee in her hands, savouring the warmth. "Figures SoulSilver would tell you about me. What else did she tell you?"

"Only that your emotions are tightly locked up," Pearl said and Clair flinched. That's what her grandfather said as well. Was he right?

_You must open your heart, Clair. Let people into your life and help you._

_"Grandfather...is this what you meant?" _Clair thought. "Pearl, I'm not a very feeling person...why is it you stay around someone like me?"

"Because I like...screw it, you know how I feel about you," Pearl replied. "You're beautiful, strong, powerful and you're a great tamer. And I KNOW there's another side of you that you haven't let out yet...your feelings," he said, looking at her. "And I'm stubborn enough to wait for you to show your feelings."

Clair blushed and Pearl grinned. "Your face says a lot right now."

"No it doesn't!" Clair quickly said.

"Clair, take it easy. There's nothing wrong with having feelings, no matter what your mean old dad said. You can trust me, alright?" Pearl told her and took another sip of his coffee.

Clair tried to relax but no matter what she did, she always felt like her father was looking over her shoulder. It was going to take a lot of time for her to cut loose of her father's influences...and probably someone to help her through it.

"I know I can," Clair admitted. "I'm sorry. I just need to stop thinking my father will belittle me every time I do something he didn't agree with. If you think you can handle the gym leader responsibilities...I'll speak with the league after Grandfather's funeral and see what they say. You might have to take a test, Pearl," she warned him and he just grinned.

"You don't think I can't handle it? I can do anything!"

"We'll see," Clair said and smiled before sipping her coffee.

* * *

**I know. Less romance, more tl;dr. But you can't expect tenderness and fluff and cutsey romance and crap after a family member dies. Been there, done that. -shudders- I can't wait for this year to be over.**

**With this month being NaNoWriMo, I'm going to try and upload twenty themes. I want this to be done before 2011 and I'm currently at...-checks- HOLY SH-CRAP. SEVENTY NINE PERCENT? Maybe I oughta set my goal to finishing this edition before the month is over. o.o**

**Many more to come. One of my next ones is another collaberation with mein lover, Regii. We're going back to the world in our insane minds. ;D**


	35. Can You Hear Me?: RedxLeaf

**Theme: **82. Can You Hear Me?  
**Pairing: **RedxLeaf (BurningLeafShipping)  
**Summary: **_"No matter how high you are from us, Red, know I'm always thinking about you."  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **I've decided I should just go crazy and write until my brain gets tired.

* * *

_"I always knew this was his destiny."_

But knowing wasn't going to stop the pain.

Leaf watched in sadness as her closest friend packed up his most needed belongings from his room. She sat on the bed and played with his Pikachu, trying to smile, but dreading the inevitable departure that was soon to follow.

It was still hard to believe that Red had gotten so powerful in such a short amount of time. The Pokemon League had called his prowess legendary and decided to test the full extent of his power by sending him up to Mount Silver, an area so harsh and dangerous that it was forbidden for anyone without eight badges to traverse up to. Red had more than just eight badges; he had the title of Champion under his belt. No one seemed to be able to beat him, not even Blue.

"I still can't believe they want to send you up to such a dangerous place," Leaf commented, breaking the awkward silence. "You're still only a kid, Red."

"Meh." Red shrugged. "It's the start of something big, Leaf. I can feel it. One day I'll be a legend and not because I'm an eleven year old champion. One day, people will talk about me. I'll be so well known that people will climb Mount Silver for an autograph of me!"

Leaf had to laugh. "Are you serious?"

"That's what the guy from the league told me," Red replied. "Truth is I don't think I'm going to like this much. No electricity, no heat, no video games, no TV, no people...it sounds boring."

"That's survival skills," Leaf said, matter-of-factly. "Besides, you won't be alone. You'll have Pikachu and your other pokemon with you too."

"But I won't have you."

Leaf rolled her eyes. "That's reeeeeeeally cute, Red. We're eleven years old. Besides, we're best friends."

"Exactly!" Red zipped up his bag and looked at her. "No best friends around makes life boring! I won't even have Blue around to bug and beat at battles!"

"You'll have your battles, though," Leaf reminded him. "A lot of tough trainers will always want to fight you."

"So? It's not like battling is my life."

"But it is your destiny," Leaf mumbled. Red still heard her.

"Do you still believe in that stuff?" he asked her. Leaf nodded. "Tch. Destiny sucks. If this is the kind of life destiny chose for me, I want a new one."

Leaf didn't have to ask him what he meant. She knew he wasn't fond of his life. His father had walked out on his mother when Red was only five and his mother worked many long hours just to keep the bills paid and food on the table. Red vowed that would change when he turned eleven and got his trainer's license. He began sending her money he earned from battles and the Pokemon League gave him a lot of money as a part of the prize for becoming the champion. None of it was kept for himself.

"Maybe destiny chose to put you through that for a reason," Leaf said after a thought. "Look how strong you are. Maybe that guy from the league is right about you. You will become a legend, Red. I knew it from the first battle we had. You were meant to be the strongest."

Red didn't answer her. He just checked his bag again, stalling for time. Leaf smiled sadly, knowing he was going to leave soon.

"I'll miss you, Red. Will I be able to come visit you?"

Red shook his head. "Only if you get all the badges, Leaf. They won't let anyone come up and see me...not even Mom. They're calling it too dangerous for anyone who can't prove their power."

Leaf sighed. "Well...I'll send my Pidgeot up to see you some time with mail...that'll work, right?"

"It should," Red agreed. He hesitated and then said, "I'll miss you too. Take care of yourself, Leaf...and check in on my mom sometimes. I don't want her to be alone."

"I will," Leaf promised. Pikachu hopped off her lap and she got up as well. Before she could leave the room, Red wrapped his arms around her. He was shaking. Leaf bit her lip in an effort to keep herself from crying and hugged him back.

"Come back soon, Red."

"I will. I promise."

With a heavy pack on his back and his Pikachu on his shoulder, Red set out to make a name for himself on top of Mount Silver. Leaf watched him go with a heavy feeling in her heart.

Blue just simply yelled out, "SMELL YA LATER!" and broke the mood.

* * *

_Dear Red,_

_God, what a corny way to begin a letter. Anyway, how have you been? I've been over to see your mom every day and she's always telling me how much she misses you. She's worried about you but I'm sure you're doing okay._

_I'm doing fine. I've decided to train a little more and try for some badges of my own. I'm not trying to top you - I can't even come close to you - but at least I can say I'm a trainer too._

_Blue's gotten stupider. Are you surprised?_

_Actually, I'm just kidding. That idiot decided to try becoming the Virdian Gym Leader - you know, since you put the old one out of business - and he passed the test. Guess he's not so stupid after all. He's still annoying, though._

_You know, it's weird...ever since you left, I can't stop thinking about you. Sometimes I even open my window and talk as if you're there...stupid, right? It's not like you can hear me...right?_

_I guess I just miss you. When are you coming back to Pallet Town?_

_I made Pidgeot hold some extra mail for you and I even sent up a Rage Candy Bar. They sell those on Two Island in the south. I had one already and they taste pretty good, so I bought an extra one for you._

_Anyway...I don't really know how to end this...just take care of yourself. Pidgeot will stay with you until you give him a response to send back to me. Or you can just send him back and he'll come back next week. Unless you come down, that is._

_I miss you._

_-Leaf_

Red read the letter with a smile. It had been lonely up on the summit of Mount Silver without anyone around. Luckily Leaf kept up her promise to write to him. While reading the letter, he felt like she was actually there and talking to him.

Maybe he did hear her random ramblings after all.

* * *

**UP NEXT: WORDS!**

**THE SEQUEL.**

**I know you can't actually buy Rage Candy Bars in the games, but the woman on Two Island who says Bruno visited says, "They were all sold out of Rage Candy Bars." To me, that says they do sell them and will get another shipment at some point. :/  
**


	36. Words: RedxLeaf

**Theme: **80. Words  
**Pairing: **RedxLeaf (BurningLeafShipping)  
**Summary: **_"Can you tell him something for me? Tell him these exact words...I've always loved him and there will be no other for me."  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **Wow, the themes just keep coming. I've finally hit 81 percent with this. I hope I can finish this by the end of this month! That'll be my NaNoWriMo project...well, that and several others. :/

I wanna start my PokeSpe Christmas project ASAP.

* * *

_Dear Red,_

_It's been three years since I last saw you. Your letters haven't stopped coming, but it's not the same as actually hearing your voice._

_You must have changed a lot now. I know I have and Blue has too. I'm fourteen years old now. I'm taller and I look older. Blue's gotten taller as well and his hair is even more wild. He's stopped acting like a jerk and even asked me out a few times._

_Before you wonder how the dates went, I'll tell you now that I had to turn him down. I don't want to date him._

_Pallet Town's changed a lot now. It only seems to have gotten quieter and sadder, especially without you. But everywhere I go, people seem to whisper about the 'legend on Mount Silver'. But I never actually hear your name._

_I guess that guy from the league was partly right. You were meant to be a legend and you are one, Red. But they don't even know your name. They don't know it's actually you. It's as if you died and were replaced by a legendary ghost or enigma._

_I wish you would come down soon. I miss you._

_-Leaf_

Leaf sighed as she sealed the letter in an envelope and gave it to her Pidgeot. This had probably been her three hundredth letter...she stopped counting after a hundred...but she had made the promise to write to Red every week. And Leaf held that promise in high regard. Without her letters, she was sure he was lonely.

Three long years had gone by and she hadn't stopped missing him. The Pokemon League had made changes to their rules that seemed to make it impossible for Red to return. First of all, you had to have sixteen badges: eight from Kanto and eight from Johto, the neighbouring region. Second of all, you had to become the champion at the Indigo Plateau. And third of all, in order for Red to actually give up his position as the highest trainer in both regions, someone had to beat him. Leaf had no idea who could take that challenge. Certainly not Blue, he was too busy with his gym. And definitely not her. She gave up on gym matches after three losses against Blue. She busied herself with helping Professor Oak and traveling a little bit between Kanto and Johto.

But Leaf never gave up hope. There had to be someone out there who could take Red on and be the one to bring him down. There was a saying that was as old as time itself. _No matter how good you are at something, there will always be someone better than you. _Red had been an example of being the best, but times have changed. There was always new and upcoming trainers who were eager to take on the challenge of being the best and surpassing 'the legend on Mount Silver'.

Leaf hoped one of them would succeed.

* * *

"Arg, no way!"

"Yes! That's that!"

Blue made a fist and gritted his teeth angrily. How long had it been since he lost? He probably gave out the Earth Badge only twice before. He wasn't used to losing at all. But this kid, this stranger from Johto, had walked into his gym with fifteen badges...eight from Johto and seven from Kanto...and whupped him easily.

"Alright...fine. Here's your Earth Badge. I gotta say I'm impressed...I guess. That kind of power is rare," Blue commented, giving the kid his sixteenth badge. "I haven't seen that power since..." his voice trained off and the kid looked up at him.

"Since?"

"Uh...never mind. None of your business. Take your badge and go." Blue didn't like to talk about Red. He was always filled with anger every time he thought of his rival, the one he was always ahead of, but never better than. Red seemed to beat him at everything and Blue felt grateful that he, at least, had the position of the last and toughest gym leader in Kanto. That was something Red couldn't have.

"Alright, fine...and thanks." The kid paused to pin the badge on his bag and turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Say...Blue, was it? Do you know anything about the legend on Mount Silver?"

It was an innocent question but the reaction he got was not what he expected. Blue slammed his fist into the wall and gritted his teeth so hard, he could hear them grind.

"...I don't like talking about it. If you want to know so badly, go to Pallet Town and find a girl with long brown hair. She'll tell you everything, kid."

"My name isn't kid," the boy retorted. "I just beat you, so I think I've earned a bit of respect. My name is Gold, so remember it!"

"Whatever," Blue growled, walking away. Gold was puzzled. Was this legend on Mount Silver just a hoax? Why did asking Blue about it make him so angry?

"Only one way to find out..." Gold told himself as he left the gym and headed south. "Find the girl with long brown hair and ask her about the legend."

* * *

Pallet Town was tiny, but that didn't surprise Gold too much. It's not like New Bark Town was any bigger. But it did have a strange atmosphere about it. The people moved with smiles that looked fake and the silence was smothering. It was as if someone had died.

Did this relate to the legend?

Gold wasn't sure who this 'girl with long brown hair' was and wished Blue had given him a name. He wasn't sure how to start his search.

_"Umbree!" _his Umbreon suddenly said.

"What's up, Metro?" Gold asked. His Umbreon pointed towards a lab near the water. "Hey...is that Professor Oak's lab? Awesome! I can get him to check out my Pokedex! Good call, Metro!"

The two of them, trainer and pokemon, hurried over to the lab and went inside. Professor Oak was genuinely pleased to see Gold and gave him a Pokedex rating. Gold decided that Professor Oak was probably a better person to ask about the Mount Silver legend.

"Hey, Prof Oak? Do you know anything about the legend on Mount Silver?"

Professor Oak pursed his lips. As a league representitive, he wasn't allowed to tell the truth about Red and who he was. All he could do was lie.

"Sorry. I don't know anything."

"Really? But...you're the professor and you live here in Pallet Town..." Gold said, confused. "Blue told me to come here for the truth about the legend. Was he wrong?"

"No," Oak admitted. "But I can't tell you. I'm sorry." He tried to politely dismiss Gold from his lab, but Gold had one more question.

"Then can you tell me who the girl with long brown hair is?"

"Who?"

"That's what I want to know..." Gold said. "Blue said if I wanted to know the truth, I should find her and ask her."

Professor Oak pretended to think. The league said he wasn't suppose to tell people about who or what was on Mount Silver, but that didn't mean someone else couldn't. And _she _was the only one who had all the answers as well.

"Her name is Leaf. She lives just down the road from here. You'll find a sign outside her house that will tell you it's hers. If she isn't home, try next door."

"Thanks, Oak!" Gold grinned and rushed out the door. Oak smiled as the door closed.

"Arceus be with you, Gold. You may be the one to bring him down."

* * *

_Leaf's House_

"Well that's rather obvious, isn't it?" Gold asked his Dragonite, Jupiter. Jupiter chuckled and nodded. Gold raised his hand and knocked on the door. A woman who looked to be in her forties answered and Gold presumed she was Leaf's mom.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for Leaf," Gold said politely.

The woman shrugged. "She's not home. She's next door, looking after his mother."

"Whose mother?"

"We're not allowed to say..." the woman whispered mysteriously and closed the door. Gold was getting weirded out. He glanced up at his Dragonite, who looked just as puzzled as he did.

"This has to be because of the legend...I'm sure of it, Jupiter!"

Unwilling to give up, Gold hurried over next door. He paused only to read the sign outside. It was badly damaged and the only thing he could see was -_d's hou-. _

"Creepy..." Gold commented. He raised his hand and knocked. Instead of a woman answering, a teenaged girl opened the door and faced Gold with soft green eyes. Gold's yellow eyes widened when he saw she had long brown hair.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Um, sorry if this sounds rude, but are you Leaf?"

"Yes..." she gave him a suspicious look. "How did you know my name?"

"Blue sent me to look for you and Professor Oak told me," Gold admitted. "I heard you know about the legend on Mount Silver."

"Huh, you're the first person who has come to me looking for answers..." Leaf put a finger to her chin. "You said you talked to Blue?"

"Yeah, I was at his gym. We had a great match, but I beat him!" Gold said proudly. Leaf's eyes widened.

"How many badges do you have?" Gold was shocked at the sudden fierce question, but he showed her the flap on his bag with all sixteen badges pinned to it. Leaf's jaw dropped and she gasped.

"And I beat the Elite Four as well. I'm the new champion," Gold informed her. "So will you tell me about the legend?"

"Yes," Leaf whispered. "Come inside." She fixed a soft and sad look on Gold. "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Gold didn't dare question that. He and his Dragonite stepped inside to the dark living room. A woman was on the couch watching TV. She didn't look up to acknowledge Gold's presence and Gold vaguely wondered if this was a good idea.

Leaf led him into the kitchen and sat him down. "Would you like a drink? Lemonade, Moomoo Milk, water...?"

"Lemonade sounds good. And water for my pokemon, please," Gold added. Leaf got out six bottles and poured them into bowls for his pokemon. She got two cans of lemonade and gave one to Gold and then sat down opposite him.

"First of all, I wanna apologize for startling you. No one's ever come here to ask about him and I was starting to wonder if anyone ever would," Leaf began. She sipped the lemonade and continued to talk. "The legend on Mount Silver isn't a wickedly powerful pokemon or an elderly trainer who's as old as Arceus and trains from night to day to night. That's probably what you've heard, right?"

"Something like that," Gold admitted.

"People." Leaf rolled her eyes. "The truth is something the Pokemon League wanted to hide for a long time. It was to encourage trainers to never give up if you wanted to be like the legend. If they found the truth, the whole thing blows over. Quite frankly, they don't see how much this town has suffered for it." Another sip of lemonade. "His name is Red," she finally said. "This is the town he was born and raised in. Three years ago, he became the champion and the very strongest trainer in such a short time, the league had a hard time accepting it. They declared his prowess legendary. They wanted to make him some sort of god-like figure to trainers, but the truth is he was only a boy when he won. He was only eleven."

"Eleven?" Gold's eyes widened in shock.

"I suppose the shock of knowing how old he was is the start," Leaf admitted. "But to Red, being the best was inevitable. To him, raising and training pokemon seemed to come as naturally as breathing. He won eight badges in record time and put Team Rocket out of commission. He took on the Elite Four and beat them single handedly. He took on the champion, who was Blue at the time. Blue was always one step ahead of Red, but Red would always catch up and beat him. No one could surpass him," Leaf added thoughtfully.

"Team Rocket wasn't put out of commission," Gold told her. "They came back in Johto, but I stopped them. I even awoke legendary pokemon!"

Leaf's gaze didn't waver but she did smile. Gold smiled back, but he still wasn't done. "Leaf...why is he up there? Why is this whole town acting as if someone's died?"

"The league wanted him up there," Leaf said. "They wanted to test his power and endurance. They wanted to put him up on the highest pinnacle possible between both regions and show the world he is the best and can't be beaten. This town began to suffer because the league forbade us from talking about him. We weren't allowed to say we were proud of him or proud to come from Pallet Town because this is where he's from. In a way, Red did die to all of us. He vanished and was replaced by this imaginary legendary enigma that people talk about. He's gone and all of us feel like something is missing. Look at his mother..." she said, pointing back towards the living room. "When Red was five, his father walked out on the family, leaving his mother to raise him alone. Times were always hard for them but Red made a promise to send his mother money from battles he won. I suppose that was a part of why he became so strong," she added.

"She was so proud of him for all his accomplishments. The money he gave her helped them tremendously and she thought they could finally live a decent life. But Red was called away and she sank into depression...even all the money that Red earned as the champion can't compensate that loss. She just wants her son back."

Gold nodded, a sinking feeling bubbling up in his stomach. No wonder this town felt so unhappy. They were forbidden to talk about the one hero that had made them all proud.

"What does it take to reach him?" he asked.

"Everything you have," Leaf answered. "The league had changed their rules about a year ago. The requirements are sixteen badges and becoming the league champion. The only thing is..." Leaf paused and looked at Gold with hope in her eyes. "He's not allowed to come down unless someone beats him and proves they can surpass the legend."

Gold took the hint. "So if I beat him...he'll come home."

"Exactly. That's my wish anyway..." Leaf said wistfully. Her words touched Gold deeply and he wondered how much this girl had suffered in comparison to the town.

"Leaf, I have one more question. Why is it you're the only one who knows so much and is willing to talk? How do you know so much about Red?"

Leaf looked down at her lemonade, but the look in her eyes told Gold she was seeing something else. She didn't say anything for a few seconds. Finally, she sighed and looked at Gold.

"I'm his best friend...and I've loved him since we were children," she admitted. "And I miss him more than anything. I don't mind spilling the beans about him, as long as it gets him down here." She fixed her eyes on Gold again. "You're the only one I've seen whose got what it takes to climb Mount Silver and beat him. So I have to ask you now...what will you do now that you know the truth about the legend on Mount Silver?"

"I'm going to climb up Mount Silver, find him and beat him," Gold said confidently. "I don't care what it takes. I'll beat him and bring him down from the mountain."

"I was hoping you would say that." Leaf took out a pokeball and gave it to Gold. "This is my Pidgeot. He knows the way up Mount Silver. When you find him, I want you to give it your all. And...tell him something for me."

"Yeah?" Gold said, accepting the pokeball.

"Tell Red I love him and I want to see him again. I want to hear his voice and feel his presence again. It's been way too long since I've had him beside me and not having him has been a huge hole in my chest."

"I will," Gold promised.

"You know, we've been talking for so long and I never bothered asking you your name," Leaf said. "And here I am trusting you with something important."

"You can trust me," Gold said. "My name is Gold. I'm from New Bark Town in Johto. And Leaf, I swear I'll beat him so he returns to where he belongs."

"Thank you, Gold..." Leaf said in a whisper. "You've given me hope, something I held but wasn't sure if it would actually happen. For his sake and this town's sake, I hope you beat him."

Gold grinned. "Watch the news," he told her. "It'll make headlines."

* * *

It was a long trip up Mount Silver. If it weren't for Leaf's Pidgeot, Gold was sure it would have taken him longer. But here he stood in front of the legend himself and was shocked to see how bad he looked. His hair was tangled and messy underneath the cap. His clothes were torn up and outgrown. He had circles under his eyes and looked painfully thin. Gold realized that the only food he must have gotten was from Leaf sending it up with her Pidgeot.

_This _was the legend of Mount Silver? The situation was worse than Gold thought.

"I take it you're here to challenge me," Red said. Gold winced at how raspy and tired it sounded.

"I am, but before we battle...I wanted to talk to you."

"I'm not here for talking," Red said, annoyed. "They put me here for battles. That's all."

"Ah quit it. It's not me who's got words for you. It's Leaf," Gold said and Red's eyes widened.

"You've talked to her? How is she? Is she alright?"

"Not really," Gold said. "None of Pallet Town is. They're missing someone important. Leaf is the only one who's willing to talk about you."

"Why?" Red asked.

"Because the league doesn't want people to know the truth about you. They want people to believe you're some almighty powerful pokemon god when the truth is right here in front of me...you're just a teenager that's wasting his life up this mountain. They actually forbade Pallet Town from talking about you," Gold informed him and Red's hands clenched into fists.

"This isn't what I wanted. I wanted to be a legend and have people know my name. Not for the league to make a lie about me..." Red looked at Gold. "What did Leaf want?"

"For me to tell you some important words. She loves you and she misses you way more than you can imagine. She wants you to come home to her," Gold said. Red's fists unclenched themselves and he looked down sadly.

"She's the only one who bothered to care...always sending me food and letters...it figures she would be the one to tell you about me." He looked back up at Gold. "But I can't leave here unless I'm beaten. I can't go back home and...I can't see Leaf either."

"That's what I'm here for," Gold said with a smirk. "I aim to beat you and send you back home. I made Leaf a promise to beat you for your sake and the town's, but also for her sake. She needs you back."

Red wanted to say he needs her as well, but Gold had already called out his Feraligatr. The battle had begun.

* * *

Three days later, Leaf and Red's mother were watching the news. A breaking story had come on and the two women sat up straight.

_"Champion from New Bark Town beats Legend of Mount Silver! Legend scheduled to come home!"_

"He did it!" Leaf shouted. "I knew he could do it! Red's coming home!"

A gloomy mood seemed to have lifted from all of Pallet Town. People were filled with happiness at the news that their legendary hero was finally returning home. Leaf ran out of the house and went to tell Professor Oak, Daisy and even Blue about the news.

Later that day, when the sun was going down, two figures walked through the gates of Pallet Town. One was supporting the other and they were going slow. Red had been so weakened from malnourishment and lack of decent sleep that Gold had to help him get from one place to another. Leaf's Pidgeot followed behind them with Gold's Dragonite and Red's Charizard, who looked as weakened as Red did.

"How's it feel to come home?" Gold asked.

"I'm not home yet..." Red told him. "Not until I see Mom and Leaf."

"You will," Gold assured him. The younger boy led the older one down the road to his house. Before he could even knock, the door flung open and Leaf and Red's mother burst out. Red's mom quickly pulled her son into her arms, crying and kissing him over and over. Leaf, on the other hand, was hugging Gold and thanking him over and over. She was also crying, but Gold didn't mind.

Finally, Red and Leaf faced each other for the first time in three years. Despite Red's filthiness and thin state, Leaf thought he was still as good looking as he was when he left. Neither of them said anything at first, but Red startled Leaf by making the first move and pulling her into his arms.

"I missed you more," he whispered in her ear.

His words meant so much to Leaf and she pressed her lips to Red's cheek.

"Welcome home, Red," Leaf whispered back. Those were the words Red had wanted to hear for a very long time. They filled him with renewed vitality and he hugged Leaf tighter and kissed her on the lips.

Neither Gold nor Red's mother minded. The older woman was also thanking Gold for bringing her son down from the mountain and back home where he belonged.

"It was no problem..." Gold said, glancing back at the two teens who were still lip-locked. "Just make sure he gets a bath and a lot of food. He stinks."

* * *

**Daaaaaamn, this took me all morning and part of the afternoon to finish. I could have made it longer, but I decided against it.**

**Random question, but for all you players who played Gold/Silver/Crystal or HeartGold/SoulSilver, did any of you feel a sense that something was missing when you walked into Pallet Town? I did. It was as though something or someone needed to come back. That was before I learned Red was in the game and on Mount Silver. When I beat Red, I felt a sense of accomplishment...not for just beating him, but I figured maybe he would go home. That was a long time ago on my Crystal version, of course, but the feeling remains today.**

**What was Red doing on Mt. Silver? How long had he been there for? And why? Obviously these are never answered in the games, which is why fanfiction is so handy. I don't know why Leaf wasn't shown in HG/SS (probably for the same reason they replaced Kris with an stupid girl - maybe Gamefreak hates girls) so I tried to make Leaf more of a 'casual' trainer, someone who wasn't as serious as Blue and Red about training. **

**I absolutely loved this. Maybe I should do more stuff with Red and Leaf as a pairing.**


	37. Safety First: AbsolxAbsol

**Theme: **97. Safety First  
**Pairing: **AbsolxAbsol (AbbonxOpheliac, TorturedDarknessShipping)  
**Summary: **_Giving an Absol that had just come from a fight a bath? Not the safest idea...  
_**Rating: **T for swearing, because Abbon is a filthy mouth.

**AN: **Welcome back to the world inside mine and Regii's minds!

Thanks for helping me write this, love!

* * *

"Abbon, bath time."

"FUCK NO, KEEP AWAY FROM ME!"

It was chaos as usual in that one house in Blackthorn City. On this particular day, the queen of the household decided her newest family member, a stubborn and harsh male Absol, needed a bath. Everyone had to agree with her; he smelled of blood and dirt after encountering and getting into a fight with another Absol. The kids of the household were not meant to see that and even his own mate was wrinkling her nose in disgust.

But at the moment, all she wanted was cake.

"Can't we wait until after?" Opheliac asked. She was eyeing the cake the resident Flygon, Vaporeon and Blissey threesome made. It was tall and wide, big enough for everyone in the house to eat.

"No." Star shook her head. "I want him clean NOW." She glared at the filthy Absol, who glared right back at her. "March your ass upstairs, Abbon."

"NO."

"DO IT."

"NO!"

"DO IT!"

At that moment, the king of the household walked in and recoiled at both the scent and the sight of Abbon. "Geez, what happened to you? You're filthy!"

"None of your business, human!" Abbon scowled. Cam, the king of the household, scowled back.

"Go have a bath, Abbon. You can't let the others see you like this!"

"Why not?" Abbon snapped. "I don't fucking care how I look!"

"Well I do!" Star snapped back. "You smell like Sirius when he's been playing in the mud!" she added, referring to her crazy Arcanine. The truth was Abbon had just gotten out of a fight from someone from his past in the Sinnoh Underground, where he had bad memories. The Absol called himself Soru and wanted to kill humans as revenge for killing off their pack, abusing them and making them fight to the death. He had even targetted Star and threatened to 'have' Opheliac, which enraged Abbon enough to make him kill. Though he would never admit it, Abbon had two important women in his life and if he lost either of them, he wouldn't know what to do. Probably revert back to his old ways of being rude and insulting everyone.

But that didn't stop him from disrespecting his mistress now. He HATED baths!

"I'll only go if Opheliac agrees to come too. Otherwise, kiss my ass."

"Well that's a switch," Star said, folding her arms and glaring. "You saved my life earlier and now you wanna backtalk me?"

"She's your new master," Cam reminded Abbon. "Pay her SOME respect." Abbon snarled in response. Star took the opportunity to pick Abbon up and head upstairs.

"Come on, Opheliac!" she called.

Opheliac, despite being a 'depressed little girl' was laughing all the way up the stairs. To her, watching her mistress pick up and carry her mate up to the bathroom like he was a baby was hilarious. Abbon glared at her while struggling against his mistress's arms.

"This ain't funny, babe...OI! I'm still aching, you know!" Abbon yelped. Star rolled her eyes.

"Then you'll be wanting a bath even more then."

"What for?"

"The warm water will soothe your aches. Now quit acting like a baby." Abbon growled dangerously at that and Star raised her eyebrows. "Do I need a suit of armor to give you a bath? Are you going to attack me too? My safety does come before this."

"In that case," Abbon began, but Opheliac gave him a glare.

"Don't you dare, Abbon."

The male Absol sighed in defeat. _"Someone kill me," _he thought. He couldn't win against women.

Star finally got through the bathroom door with Opheliac and quickly shut and locked the door before Abbon could even think of escaping. She started to run the water and search the cupboards for her canine shampoo. Opheliac took the moment to question her mate about bath time.

"Why do you hate baths so much?" Abbon stared at her like she was insane, but Opheliac kept going. "Mistress gives us massages while she bathes us. They feel nice and makes it worthwhile."

"I don't like water," Abbon snapped.

"You're not getting blasted by water like you would in a battle," Star piped up. "I COULD have asked Ven or Watery to hose you down instead," she added, referring to her Vaporeon and Milotic. "Or throw you in a cold pond with a bar of soap."

Abbon grumbled to himself and Star took the opportunity to grab him again and dump him in the water. He came up sputtering and coughing, but he soon became very unnerved by his mistress's grinning face.

"What the HELL was that for?"

"Bath time," Star simply answered. She poured the soap over Abbon's body, ignoring his growling and glaring. If she was anyone else, Abbon would have torn them to bits...she obviously wasn't thinking about her safety. Or maybe she was and just trusted him. The feeling was odd and unfamiliar to Abbon. Opheliac came up the side of the tub and giggled.

"It's not so bad, is it?" She was met by more growling. "Oh come on, it's not gonna hurt."

Abbon started to say something else, but Star began to massage his weary body. His growling lessened and he looked up at her. "I'm...not enjoying this, you know. And I'm still fucking furious at you for making me do this."

"I know," Star said, continuing to massage. "But I'd rather put up with your moodiness and anger than the smell of blood and dirt in the house."

Opheliac decided to try another tactic. She wiggled her rear end and said, "Oh Abbon, you big baby...after all this is said and done and you're a good Absol, we can have fun together..." She smiled slyly as she said this.

"I do NOT want to hear that," Star grumbled. She started to dig her fingers into Abbon's muscles, but still earning a protest from Abbon.

"I'm still not happy with this, you know! Baths are...horrible...I hate them..."

"Blah blah blah, suck it up," Star snapped. "You're so tense. Is it from the fight? The bath? Or are you always tense?"

"Always tense," Opheliac supplied. Her mistress snorted and Abbon went from mad to miffed. Although Star was not a massage therapist, she had a gentle touch that felt good on his tired body. He shuddered and finally relaxed but still regarded Star with a cold look. Opheliac had to laugh again. She couldn't help it; he was so damn full of pride! And he was letting his pride get in the way of enjoyment. Star regarded him with a frown, taking his silence as more anger.

"Well, at least you're not attacking me. Good thing too, because we don't really have a suit of armor for me to wear."

"I'm not attacking you, because you're my mistress," Abbon replied. "And because Opheliac's here," he added, glancing at his mate.

Star began rinsing him off with a slightly sad look. "...one of these days, Abbon, I hope you make the choice to not attack me for who I am as a human, not because of Opheliac or because I'm your mistress. You know I'm not a bad human. You even admitted it."

Abbon was silent as she rinsed him off but he knew Opheliac was staring at him with an icy look. She regarded her mistress with respect and love after she rescued her from a hunter. And she wanted her mate to feel the same way.

"Fine, I give," Abbon spat. "You're not a bad human...but dragging me up the stairs was uncalled for." Star rolled her eyes, shut off the water and grabbed a towel. But before she could dry Abbon off, he jumped out of the water and shook himself off, getting water all over her and Opheliac.

"Got you."

"HEY!" Star yelped and Opheliac growled in protest. "I did NOT drag you! I carried you up like the big baby you are! Now you're gonna get it for getting my clothes wet!" She then pounced on Abbon roughly and toweled him. Opheliac grinned as well and pounced on her mate. Unfortunately, Abbon took the opportunity to swing his scythe and it got hooked with Opheliac's own scythe, which pressed their heads together. Star wound up on the floor with the towel over her face from Abbon's sudden tantrum.

"This is awkward...mistress!" Opheliac wailed.

"Problem?" Star took the towel off her face and grinned. Opheliac and Abbon just glared at her and she laughed. "YOU MAAAAAD?"

"JUST FIX THIS."

"Fine..." Star moved Abbon's head forward to unhook their scythes and unintentionally pressed their faces together. Abbon's lips touched Opheliac's and both Absol blushed at the unexpected contact. Star watched them with a bemused expression and Opheliac fidgeted. "Oh come on, Abbon, you kissed her in front of a room full of people before. Stop acting shy - both of you. Especially you, Miss Seducer," Star added, looking at Opheliac. Both Absols blushed and looked away.

"So, Mister-I-Hate-Water-What-The-Fuck-Are-You-Doing-To-Me, how was bath time with your new mistress?"

"I didn't like it," he replied with a nasty tone. But his tone softened when Star glared at him again. "But...it wasn't as bad as when the lunkhead tried to bathe me...perhaps I could put up with another one, if I had to..."

"Good," Star's glare changed into a smile and she opened the door. "Come on, stinkies, let's go get cake." She ran out before either of them had a chance to catch what she said.

"STINKIES?" Opheliac yelled. "I AM NOT!"

"DAMNIT MISTRESS, I'LL FUCKING THROTTLE YOU!" Abbon added. Both Absols raced after their mistress in a laughing rage. They caught up with her downstairs and knocked her down so hard, her cake flew up in the air and landed on her face.

It was quiet. The pokemon and Cam were doing their best not to laugh. Star grumbled to herself, pushed the two Absols off her and stood up. She licked some of the icing and cake off her face. "Hmm...this cake is great. It's so delicious and moist."

* * *

**How many references did you catch here? There's at least three. ;D I'll list them here:**

**-Ven, my Vaporeon's name. It's the same name as Ventus from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (my love's favourite game as well).**

**-"PROBLEM?" "U MAAAAAAAD?" Trollface and the epic ways of trolling. Go look at memebase, IT'S FUNNY.**

**-"This cake is great. It's so delicious and moist." I'm sure a lot of people might know this. It's from the ending theme from the game called Portal. (Still Alive by Jonathan Coulton, look it up on YouTube. People call it the best video game ending ever.)**

**I know I said I wasn't going to do anymore rp based ones, but I couldn't help myself. I LIED, OKAY? ):**

**I know what's next. I'm going to finally finish that little DracoShipping tale I started way way way back in chapter...FOUR? Holy crap, I have to finish it.**

**You know, looking back on all the progress I made, it's amazing how much my writing and plans had changed. At first this was just a legendaryxlegendary collection, but then I started to write humans as well and regular pokemonxpokemon. Then, of course, I read PokeSpe and I had MOAR pairings I wanted to write (RedxYellow~). I've noticed an overall change in how I write as well. I would DEFINITELY recommend doing a challenge like this to people with enough will and grit to keep going. 100 themes is really tedious, but no one said you don't have to shorten it. You would be amazed at how your writing seems to change as well and it's also incredible what these prompts can provide as inspiration. Also, writing a lot of unheard of couples was fun (GretaxTucker, EinxVenus, MIROR BXSALSA MUSIC, LOL). **

**Eh, this author's note stretched on too far. Also, I don't think I matched the theme with the story too well...damnit. OH WELL.**


	38. Starvation: RayquazaxLatias

**Theme: **79. Starvation  
**Pairing: **Implied RayquazaxLatias (DracoShipping)  
**Summary: **_His pride forbade him from apologizing. Unfortunately, his stomach suffered for it.  
_**Rating: **K plus for minor swearing  
**Picks up from: **Chapter four (Tower)

**AN: **Holy jeebiez, I should have finished this a LONG time ago. Back to my original plans of legendaryxlegendary!

* * *

His stomach rumbled. He tried to ignore it, but it was becoming a damn nuisance.

Rayquaza was not amused. Ever since he snapped at Latias and drove her away from the Sky Pillar, he hadn't been eating very well. Normally the little eon dragon would come by every day to share a meal with him, but not anymore. The sky king would never admit it, but the guilt of snapping at Latias was taking a toll on him. Every time he tried to eat, his stomach would turn over and his appetite would diminish in a flash. Of course, in the same manner, he was starving himself and that wasn't good for his health either.

_"Dude, just apologize to her."_

"What the-" Rayquaza's head snapped up. "Who's there?"

_"I'm your conscience, mofo."_

"No you aren't. My conscience isn't a loud voice that sounds psychically transmitted," Rayquaza snapped. "Come out of hiding."

There was a pause and another dragon came into sight. He looked like Latias, except he was blue with a red triangle and red eyes.

"Latios..." Rayquaza groaned inwardly. "What are you doing here?"

"What else, mofo?" Latios snapped. "Latias has been so unhappy ever since you snapped at her. I know all about what you said. I read her memories," he added.

"What should I apologize for? For being concerned? For reprimanding her for doing something as stupid as disguising herself as a human and trying to communicate with them? For something as small and insignificant as a berry?"

"How about for being an insensitive jerk? For not considering her feelings? Yeah, I'm not too happy with her risking herself either, but at least I wouldn't yell at her for it. And she got out safely," Latios pointed out.

"And what if she does it again?" Rayquaza countered. "And gets caught? You, of all pokemon, should understand my concerns."

"Concerns? You just don't want to be blamed!" Latios roared. "Apologize to my little sister, mofo, or I'll pulverize you."

"You? Challenge me? Pfth." Rayquaza sneered.

The next thing he felt was an icy blast and consciousness slipping away. Latios had hit him with a powerful Ice Beam attack, taking advantage of Rayquaza's double weakness to ice moves. He then used Dragon Claw to carve a message in one of the walls and left the tower.

When Rayquaza awoke later, he clutched his head and groaned. _"Curse you, Latios. CURSE YOU!" _But it was his fault. He had let his damned pride get in the way again and Latios got him when he was gloating.

He noticed the message on the wall and frowned at it. Latios had to get his way, didn't he?

_APOLOGIZE TO MY SISTER._

_MOFO._

Rayquaza realized he couldn't let this go on. If all he had to do was apologize to get his appetite back and Latios off his back, he would do it. He would have to swallow his pride and do it.

He wasn't sure if he could admit he did miss Latias, though.

The sun was already set and the moon had begun to climb into the sky. That was fine for Rayquaza. He enjoyed nighttime flights. Rayquaza only had one annoying thought nagging him as he flew to Southern Island.

_"Will she forgive me?"_

* * *

**Oh derp, I didn't like this one much. Maybe it's because I've written a lot of long ones recently, but I just don't like this. **

**Then again, it was a hard theme to do. :/**


	39. Traps: MichaelxOC

**Theme: **66. Traps  
**Pairing: **MichaelxTani (OCxCanon character, XDHeroShipping)  
**Summary: **_"I hate these goddamned holes!"  
_**Rating: **K plus for minor swearing? And a very minor compromising situation.

**AN: **Tani is a Pokemon XD character I made up about a year ago. I've spent a little while trying to get her up to scratch before actually writing her and bringing her existence to the world. This is her first official debute, but I plan on making her shine in my Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness novelization called _A Road To Opened Hearts. _

Michael is, without a doubt, my favourite Pokemon game guy. It makes me sad there's not much fanfiction or fanart with him and there's no one to pair him with (Wes has Rui, lucky guy). I've only seen a shipping called XDRivalShipping, which is MichaelxLovrina and that makes me wanna puke. There's also all the yaoi with Michael, which makes me raeg. And LovesongShipping (MichaelxKandee) seems wrong in my eyes...Kandee's a little girl! Tani was invented to give me someone to pair Michael with, but she also snowballed into a completely whole character and I absolutely adore her.

I promise, she isn't a mary sue. She and Michael have a lot of background together and it'll be revealed in the novelization. Her bio is also on my LiveJournal, so check that out as well.

This will be a semi preview of sorts for A Road To Opened Hearts.

* * *

_"Wrooooooooooar! Watch your head! Keep an eye on the ground too!"_

"Michael, what do you think that peon meant?" Tani asked. The peon she was talking about had just vanished and left behind his shadow Lickitung for Michael to snag. He left a creepy warning as well and Tani was concerned.

"I don't know and I don't care," Michael said, using his PDA to transfer the Lickitung to his PC system. "He probably wants to make us think there's traps around here. The only real traps I've seen are all the lava pits."

Tani frowned. "Those are dangerous. Maybe we should step carefully..." she said. Michael scoffed and went on ahead...only to fall through a hole in the floor.

"OW!"

"Michael!" Tani hurried to the hole he dropped down through. "You alright?"

An angry Michael looked back up at her. "NO. Get real, Tani! I just fell through the floor!"

"Is anything broken?" Tani calmly asked. She was used to Michael's anger and usually, unintentionally, infuriated him more by pretending it didn't exist.

"No..." Michael groaned, standing up. "I'm alright. Now I gotta figure out how to get to the elevator..."

"Just use the cranes," Tani said, pointing to the crane beside Michael. The redhead grumbled to himself and got on it. A few seconds later, she heard the elevator come back up and Michael was back beside her.

"I hate holes."

"You hate everything..." Tani rolled her eyes.

"That's not true!" Michael protested. "I only hate Cipher, traps, puzzles, holes in the floor, brussel sprouts, pink haired girls..."

Tani listened to his list of things he 'only' hated as they walked. Some of it was pretty funny, some of it was ridiculous. One thing was certain: it wasn't short. She was about to point this out to Michael when he suddenly stumbled and grabbed onto her arm. They both fell through another hole in the floor with a loud THUD!

"OW! DAMNIT, NOT AGAIN!"

Tani winced at the pain and got a look at the position she landed in. She was directly on top of Michael with her chest pressed against his. She blushed but Michael didn't seem to notice. He just kept complaining.

"I hate these goddamn holes!"

"Uh, Michael...?" Tani suddenly said. Michael looked down to see Tani right on top of him, her chest mashed against his and their pelvic regions touching. Her face was just inches from his. He turned as red as his hair and pushed her off. Tani flinched and looked away. "S-sorry..."

"Uh...whatever...let's just keep moving," Michael said quickly, trying to hide his own face. That was the closest anyone had ever been to him, aside from his own mother and sister. But family didn't really count, did they? His best friend, on the other hand...who just so happened to be a girl...and who was kinda cute...

_"No she isn't! You can't think of her that way, idiot! She's your BEST FRIEND!"_

Michael tried to push his thoughts away. He and Tani got on another crane, but neither of them could face each other. Wordlessly, they traversed over the gaps and went back up the elevator. This time, they looked around carefully to avoid the holes in the ground. But the silence between them was awkward.

"Kiyaaaah! You're never getting by me! I'll be yelled at if I don't stop you!"

Another Cipher peon dropped down from the ceiling with a frantic look. Michael and Tani immediately snapped into action and sent out their pokemon for a fast double battle.

Feelings would have to wait. Greevil needed to be stopped first.

* * *

**Okay, I loved this way too much. I can't WAIT to get back to work on A Road To Opened Hearts!**

**I plan on doing another theme with these two. Kekeke. ;D**


	40. Night: RayquazaxLatias

**Theme: **32. Night  
**Pairing: **RayquazaxLatias (DracoShipping)  
**Summary: **_The moon is in the sky. The stars have a similar twinkle to the one in Latias's eyes. Rayquaza couldn't believe she was actually hugging him.  
_**Rating: **K plus?

**AN: **OH GOD FINALLY.

I didn't really like this little tale. :/

* * *

Latias was watching the water from the top of her favourite cliff on Southern Island. She had an unhappy look on her face and was trying her hardest to smile. It was a beautiful night with a large full moon hovering above her like a giant pearl. The stars were vivid and bright and they reminded Latias of the jewels humans covet. She wondered what it was like to feel rich, happy and...loved.

The little eon dragon couldn't admit it to anyone, but she absolutely adored Rayquaza. He was large, powerful and very fearsome. Latias couldn't find it in herself to be afraid of him...or even had a reason to. He was rash and harsh sometimes, but not fearsome.

At least...not until she saw he had no real feelings. She risked herself to make him happy. Instead...it was as if he hated her.

She had no chance with him. Nothing like Mew had with Celebi or Azelf had with Darkrai...it wasn't fair. If a small pixie could find love with a dark monster, why couldn't she find it with a powerful deity?

_"Stupid," _she chided herself. _"It's not as if he knows how to love. He's never had a reason to. He has everything...his own location, power, position in Hoenn...and the ability to save Hoenn from everything Groudon and Kyogre have to throw at it. He doesn't need me."_

She suddenly wished it wasn't a bright night. She wished it was stormy and dark, like her emotions.

_"Ohhh...why did I have to fall in love with him?"_

* * *

Southern Island was not a far trek from the Sky Pillar. For Rayquaza, the trip only took five minutes. He hoped the visit would be just as short and that he wouldn't run into Latios. The sky king wasn't sure if he could control the temper he had if Latios showed his face.

Luckily for him, he spotted Latias just outside the trees looking down at the water. Perhaps if he was quiet and smooth, he wouldn't bring Latios's attention to him. He slowly glided towards Latias, hoping he wouldn't alert her to his presence so soon. However, Latias's psychic powers reacted and she looked right up into his eyes.

"Rayquaza? Why are you here?"

Not Ray. For some reason, Rayquaza found that annoying. Latias was the only one to call him that. In a way, it made him feel special to get a nickname even if it was only a shortened version of his name.

"I came to see you," Rayquaza admitted. "Your brother came to visit me," he added, scowling.

"I know," Latias replied. "I tried to talk him out of it. He just wouldn't listen." She suddenly gave him a concerned look. "He didn't do anything drastic, did he?"

_"No, of course not, Latias. He only ice beamed me to hell and ruined one of the walls of my home by scratching a message into my wall. Nothing drastic at all."_

"No," Rayquaza lied. "Just gave me a few words and that was it."

"Oh good." Latias looked relieved. "Um..."

"Latias, I, um...came to say I'm sorry," Rayquaza said. "I should have paid more attention to your feelings...but I was worried about you. In any case, yelling at you wasn't the right idea," he finished.

Latias didn't anything right away. She just looked down at the water where the moon was reflected in. Her silence was bothering Rayquaza. He was sure he didn't say anything that could have been taken the wrong way...did he?

"Latias?"

"Rayquaza, why were you really concerned?" she asked softly. "Is it because of my brother? The fact I'm one of a kind? What was the reason?"

"For you, mainly," Rayquaza said. "I couldn't bear the thought of you getting captured and forced to battle for humans. Remember how it happened to Celebi? She became enslaved and forced to destroy her forest. And she nearly died from it as well. If it weren't for the good humans, she might have been lost forever. Mew was devastated at the news and the others were all shook up. That's why we make it a point to keep away from human eyes," he reminded her.

"I know..." Latias admitted. "But I really wanted to make you happy. That's why I took the risk."

"Why for me?"

"Because..." Latias paused to look back at him. "I like seeing you happy. Feelings of goodness are what all humans and pokemon need, even us legendary ones. To have, to hold, to cherish..." Her voice trailed off and she added, "...and to love..."

Rayquaza didn't say anything. But he knew Latias was probably just dreaming. Then again, she was highly sensitive to feelings. Hostility made her flee in terror. It was no surprise she had such a strong commitment to making others happy, even a big green grump like him.

"You're special, Ray," she said and Rayquaza felt a warm feeling come over him. Had she really forgiven him? She went back to using that nickname, but what did she mean by that?

"How am I special?"

"You're an almighty powerful deity in Hoenn," Latias said, inching closer to him. "But even someone like you needs to know they're not alone." Before Rayquaza could say anything, Latias had wrapped her small arms around him and pressed her face to the side of his long body. He didn't know what to say, or do. But her warmth...was comforting. It was the first real hug he had ever had.

But it wasn't only Latias's physical warmth that stunned him. She had a lot of emotional warmth he realized he had come to miss during the days she didn't visit. The way she spoke to him, the meals they shared, the treats she got for him...he couldn't believe how blind he was.

He had missed her.

How could an almighty powerful deity of Hoenn be so stupid and blind?

"I missed you, Ray," Latias whispered, nuzzling him.

For once, Rayquaza decided to let go of his pride. He put his long arms around her and tried to share his own warmth.

"I missed you too, Latias."

That night changed Rayquaza's way of thinking forever. It was amazing what simple little gestures and a few words could do. Latias started to come back to the Sky Pillar more often and Rayquaza got to taste the salac berries he craved. The two dragons began to get closer on a higher level than friends, much to Latios's dismay. Eventually, Latias confessed how she felt. By this time, Rayquaza had grown into a more polite and caring dragon and he accepted Latias's feelings. They began to spend more time together and even whole nights sleeping beside each other.

He replaced his pride for better feelings. Rayquaza couldn't help but think he was better off and actually happy for once.

_"Thank you, Latias."_

* * *

**I CONFESS. MOST OF THIS WAS YANKED FROM MY HEAD AND BULLSHITTED.**

**And a lot of help came from Nickelback's If Everyone Cared. Gawd, I love that song.**


	41. Family: KrisxLance

**Theme: **46. Family  
**Pairing: **LancexKris (CrystalChampionShipping)  
**Summary: **_"Once I dreamed of being a princess. When I met your father, that dream came true."  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **This is a look into the world I came up with in my twelve year old mind. KrisxLance was the first pairing I ever shipped and remains a favourite to this day. I only got to write it once, which is a shame, but this is a deeper and much more meaningful approach for me. As I'm struggling with my own family issues, the only comfort I get is writing about happy family time.

The name Lilyana was for an old OC I will probably never reuse, except maybe as Lance and Kris's daughter if I ever write more of this pairing (which I probably might someday). To be honest, Lilyana was the name I originally gave my character in Crystal. I didn't know her name was Kris. So I'm recycling that character for a new purpose.

Enjoy.

* * *

"Once I dreamed of being a princess. When I met your father, that dream came true," Kris said softly. She was no longer a hopeful youth who dreamed of being a great pokemon trainer, but was now a grown woman of twenty four years and married. She spoke to her daughter, a young girl who had her mother's blue hair and her father's sharp eyes. The little girl smiled gleefully and clutched her toy Dratini doll.

"Mommy, tell me how you met Daddy again!" she begged.

Kris smiled. "You know the story, Lilyana," she chided. But Kris knew why her daughter loved hearing about it. To Lilyana, the tale of how her brave and strong daddy met her beautiful mommy was better than any fairy tale ever written. Kris secretly loved to tell the story because it meant reliving those precious moments that started at the Lake of Rage.

"I won't go to bed if you don't tell me the story," Lilyana threatened and Kris's eyes narrowed.

"Lili, behave yourself or you'll go to bed anyway."

Lilyana cringed. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"Good girl." Kris's look softened. "You know I met Daddy when I was twelve at the Lake of Rage...remember?"

"Yeah, because Resa was rampaging!" Lilyana chirped. Resa was Kris's red Gyarados and Lilyana adored her. The girl seemed to have no fear of the dragons she grew up around, despite only being four and a half.

"Not only Resa. All the Gyarados were because they were being forced to evolve. Resa was the one who charged at me, but I sensed her pain and captured her instead," Kris said, smiling as she recalled the encounter. "And when I returned to shore, your father was standing there with a look of amazement on his face. He couldn't believe that someone so young was so great at handling pokemon, especially an angry Gyarados!"

Lilyana squealed. "Mommy's so cool!"

Kris smiled. "Your daddy then told me why the Gyarados were evolving. You know I was already seeking to wreck Team Rocket because I couldn't stand the things they were doing to pokemon. Even though I was young, I had to stop them. Daddy told me that Team Rocket was up to no good in Mahogany Town and he asked for my help."

"Couldn't Daddy do it himself?"

"He could have, but a team works better than just one person," Kris replied. "So we worked together and drove out Team Rocket. I also found Uncle Silver there, too..."

"Why was Uncle Silver there?" Lilyana asked.

"He was after Team Rocket as well. But Uncle Silver doesn't like to team up," Kris answered. "After we beat them, I listened to my radio and discovered Team Rocket was at the radio tower. You know all about that. Then I came here to get the Rising Badge from Auntie Clair. At the same time, I was given the test to become a clan member under Great Grandpa's command. I passed it and received Hoshiyu. Then I challenged the Elite Four..."

"And then Daddy!"

"That's right!" Kris giggled and tickled her little girl. "And he stood no chance against me!"

"Because Mommy is strong!" Lilyana squealed again. She giggled some more and soon stopped, her smile changing into a frown. "But Mommy, you and Daddy...didn't marry after that...why?"

"Oh you!" Kris poked Lilyana in the tummy gently. "I was only twelve and your father was older than I was by seven years. We couldn't even begin dating. I went through other boyfriends and Daddy went through other girlfriends until I was older and we realized we wanted to be together. After Great Grandpa passed away, Daddy took over the clan as the leader..."

"King!" Lilyana interrupted.

Kris sighed. Are all mommies and daddies queens and kings to their children? Maybe Lilyana thought so because her mommy and daddy were important people in the dragon clan.

"King, then. Daddy and I started to see each other more and we got married and had you. Now aren't you a lucky little girl to have such wonderful parents?" Kris teased.

"Kekeke..." Lilyana giggled again and then yawned. "Mmmm..."

"Come on, precious. You're tired. Time for bed." Kris took her daughter's hand and led her to her room. She tucked Lilyana in and kissed her forehead. Lilyana yawned again and looked past Kris, her eyes lighting up in anticipation and excitement.

"Daddy!"

"Hey there, Lili," Lance said, coming into the room. "You know you can't go to sleep without a good night kiss from both Mommy and Daddy."

Kris smiled widely and Lilyana watched her father walk over to the other side of her bed. No matter how tired he was or how busy the clan kept him, Lance had taken a vow to find the time to be a good father to his daughter and Kris knew he would keep it. Lance was not the type to break a promise and he placed Kris and Lilyana as his top priorities. With a loving gaze, Kris watched her husband place a kiss on their daughter's forehead and tickle her silly. After another laughing fit, Lilyana yawned again and rolled over.

"Good night Mommy and Daddy..." she mumbled.

"Good night, sweetheart," Lance replied.

"Good night, precious," Kris added. She turned out the lights and walked out with Lance quietly, slipping her hand in his.

"So what was her bedtime story tonight?" Lance whispered. Kris turned to face him and kissed him on the lips.

"Ours," she answered. "From the time at the Lake of Rage to today."

"I see..." Lance smiled. "You know, to this day, I still haven't forgotten the image of you running into the water to face a horde of angry Gyarados. You scared me half to death. But when you returned with Resa in a pokeball, I knew you were special."

"You just had no idea how special," Kris teased. "Not until I beat you at the Indigo Plateau."

"Ha, that's true. Now look where we are today. I'm the clan leader and you're my leading lady. We have a beautiful daughter who's your spitting image..."

"And another on the way," Kris added, stroking her belly.

"I've always wanted a huge family," Lance said with a faraway look on his face. "I guess my wish will come true after all."

"It will. Trust me."

Lance pulled Kris in for a passionate kiss and she lost herself in his love. She wasn't kidding when she said her dreams came true when she met Lance. She achieved her goal of becoming the champion, but she also gained a lot more out of her journey. She fell in and out of love and began a family with a wonderful man. Her future in Blackthorn City with Lance, her daughter and the other dragon tamers was secure, safe and happy.

In Kris's eyes, that's all she would ever need.

* * *

**Maybe I should do an entire story about this world. But sometime later. I've got enough WIPs right now.**


	42. Abandoned: PikachuxPikachu

**Theme: **38. Abandoned  
**Pairing: **PikachuxPikachu (AquilaxChiron, ElectricAngelShipping) Also features Algol the demon Pikachu and Chop Suey, the pimp Pikachu.  
**Summary: **_He was demonic. He was unloved. He was abandoned by his former trainer. But Aquila couldn't find it in herself to be afraid of him.  
_**Rating: **K plus to be really safe. Abuse, torture, bullying and language all come into play here.

**AN: **More family centered stuff. -sighs- It'll take me a while to feel better again.

* * *

"Useless rat!" a teen aged boy snarled, kicking his pokemon away from him. The pokemon, a tiny mouse with large ears, squealed in pain and landed a few feet away. "I should have left you where I found you! You can't fight! You constantly faint! And you're not even strong! If you would just hurry up and evolve, maybe you would be useful!"

_"It's always the same, Master. You say I am weak, but I could be strong. If you would just love me..."_

The pokemon lifted his head to look at his trainer but he cringed when he saw the stick he was holding.

"If you won't get stronger, I guess I'll just beat you until you get it! I'll beat the idea that you have to get stronger so I can win right into that fat fucking head of yours!"

The blows began. One more whip from the stick only added more to the pain the pokemon felt in his heart as well as his body. This was his life but it wasn't always like this. Once he knew love. He had parents who loved him. But this trainer stole him from his family and forced him to fight pokemon much bigger than him. Most of the fights didn't just make him faint, it knocked him unconscious and left him bleeding and pleading for mercy.

He was once told he had to love to evolve. If he could learn how to love a human, he could evolve.

_"But I don't love you, Master...I love the hate you planted in me..."_

"Useless Pichu!"

_"I love the pain you inflicted on me...it makes me hate even more."_

"I should have just thrown you in the forest and left you alone to starve and die!"

_"And I'm going to love showing you what it's like to be hurt."_

Instead of collapsing from the blows, the Pichu rolled away and let his love of hatred change his shape. His ears grew smaller and his tail got longer. He had evolved. His trainer's eyes lit up.

"About time! Now I just need a Thunderstone and you'll be unstoppable! I can finally start winning again!"

_"No, Master. I'M going to start winning again. You're going to Hell...the same place you wanted to leave me."_

The Pikachu advanced on his trainer with an angry look on his face. Sparks flew from his red cheeks and his teeth were clenched. It was time to get his revenge. His trainer was not a god. His trainer was evil. And he had enough of the abuse and torture.

"Huh? What are you doing, Pikachu? Get in the pokeball. Let's go," the trainer snapped.

Pikachu didn't respond. Instead, he gathered all his electricity and unleashed a Thunderbolt attack on his trainer.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Taillows and Swellows flew from the trees at the sound of the screams. The Pikachu kept shocking his trainer until he felt his electricity was depleted. He opened his eyes to see his trainer on the ground and twitching. Sparks flew around him. He didn't look like he would last long. But that was fine to the Pikachu. He never loved his trainer. He was finally free.

He turned around and ran off, never looking back.

* * *

The Pikachu wandered throughout the Hoenn region while wondering where his parents were. Were they still alive? Would they know it was him in his new form? The blows he had been dealt had affected his head and the Pikachu couldn't even remember where he was from. He could hardly recall his parents' faces or their voices. He didn't even remember if he had a name.

Many trainers tried to capture him but he evaded them all. He wasn't going to put himself under the control of another human being. Hadn't he suffered enough? He had to find pokemon who could love him. No matter what.

Eventually he found himself in an area where "wild pokemon were said to roam", according to humans. The name of the place was called the Safari Zone. Although the Pikachu had no idea what a 'safari' was, it sounded comfortable. But the area he was in was far from comfortable. It was sandy and rocky. Ground type pokemon loved this area and they were his enemies.

"Look! What's a Pikachu doing in OUR territory?"

"Must be thinking this is his home. Hey mouse, are you lost?"

The Pikachu backed up. This was wrong. This wasn't suppose to happen. Humans abuse pokemon...pokemon shouldn't abuse other pokemon!

"Just leave me alone...I'm lost."

"Yeah, I bet ya are, punkachu!" A Graveler snarled. A Rhyhorn and a Sandslash were right beside him. "This is the ground types only ground! And trespassers get annihilated!"

"Duuuuuuh..." the Rhyhorn said. "Right."

The Sandslash held his sharp claws to the Pikachu. "Ya got five seconds to get the hell outta here before I tear your face up."

"Do it anyway, Slasher!" the Graveler taunted. "No one's gonna miss this kid!"

The Pikachu turned to run but the Sandslash grabbed his tail and brought his claw down on the Pikachu's face. He sliced all the way from the left eye right down to the jaw. Blood poured out from the gash and the Pikachu screamed.

"Let's go. Punk'll die sometime tonight."

"Duuuuuuuuuuh, yeah!"

"Right."

The sound of various footsteps faded. The Pikachu clutched his face in pure agony. Would it ever stop? Couldn't he find someone who could care for him? He blindly fumbled around for a while before finally blacking out.

* * *

"If it ain't female, let 'em go."

"Choppy, don't be rude."

"What? I'm serious! Aquila, I want a mate, damnit! You got your Chiron and who do I got? NO ONE! It ain't fair!"

"I didn't pick Chiron for the reasons you believe. Now keep your voice down. You'll wake the poor little darling."

"Oh yeah, he's a poor little darling alright," Choppy snapped. He grumbled and flickered his tail. He stared down at the mangled Pikachu - one of his own species - and grunted. "I'll never understand ya, Aquila. How can ya help even the most pitiful of them?"

"It's in my nature. It's who I am," Aquila spoke softly. "You've known this since we were Pichus, Choppy."

"Meh." Choppy turned away. Aquila strode over to him and gently touched his back. Her soft brown eyes were pleading and teary...again. Damnit, why did his sister have to be so angelic? "Okay okay, I take it back. Where'd Chiron go?"

"To find some berries for supper." Aquila looked over at the Pikachu she had found and sighed unhappily. "What a horrible scream. I shall never forget it...to think the poor dear was in the ground territory..."

"And to think you would go there without me!" Choppy snapped. "I'm at a higher level than you are! You couldn't stand up to them, or you'd wind up like that mangled Pikachu there!"

"You're always so protective of me, big brother," Aquila said softly. "But I'm overprotective of helpless ones."

A groan came from behind them and the two Pikachus turned around. The Pikachu Aquila had found was stirring. He had a bunch of Oran Berry leaves wrapped around his wound to stop the bleeding and heal the pain. Aquila knew it would become a scar later, but at least he would live.

"What the...where am I?"

"Sssssshhh...you're safe," Aquila quickly said, hurrying over and putting her arm around him. "Please don't agitate yourself. You'll only cause yourself more pain."

His one good eye looked up at Aquila, but he didn't relax. "And who the hell are you?"

"I'm Aquila," Aquila replied. "I heard your screams and I went to investigate with my brother, Chop Suey," she added, gesturing to the other Pikachu.

"Yo. It's Choppy. Not Chop Suey. I ain't noodles," Choppy grumbled.

"We brought you to our home. You've been out for a while now, dear," Aquila went on. She sat next to the scarred Pikachu and gazed at him gently. "What happened?"

But the Pikachu had learned his lesson. No one could be trusted. Humans had hurt him. Pokemon had hurt him. This female was probably luring him into a trap. He growled and swiped her paw away.

"Don't touch me. I already know that no one can be trusted. No one!"

"Please!" Aquila's voice rose in alarm. "If you move too much, the leaves will fall off and you won't heal! Please don't do this!"

"Shut up!" The Pikachu went down on all fours and growled dangerously. His cheeks began to spark up again. Aquila's soft eyes watched him worriedly and Choppy bared his teeth. He ran up and knocked him back far enough to not harm his sister.

"Ya oughta know, ya ungrateful little brat, that my sister saved your life. You could have died if she didn't find you. The least you could have done is say thanks for my life back!"

"I would have rather died!" the Pikachu spat. "Kidnapped! Beatings! Left behind! Attacked! I've had it all! Now all I need is death!"

"But...no one should have to die!" Aquila cried. "Please, we don't want to hurt you! I want to help you!"

The Pikachu got ready to send an electric attack at her again but stopped short when he saw her eyes. They were soft, brown and...moist with tears.

_"If I attack her...I'd be as bad as Master Trent. He hit me for no reason. She's not giving me a reason to hurt her..."_

His sparks died down. Aquila approached him again and looked at him tenderly. "You're not as old as you appear...did you evolve before your time?"

"Maybe..." the Pikachu sat back and mashed the leaves back on his face. "I evolved because my old master wanted me to. He beat me until I did."

Aquila gasped and Choppy looked alarmed. Before either of them could say anything, a fourth shadow stretched across the ground of the small shelter. A slightly larger Pikachu walked in with an armful of berries.

"Here's some food. It was the best I could find tonight."

"Thank you, Chiron," Aquila said, evidently still shaken up. Chiron walked past the Pikachu and unloaded all the berries. He faced the Pikachu and grimaced.

"Looks like a bad case, lad. You're lucky Aquila saved you." Chiron picked up an Oran berry and handed it to him. "These berries have the ability to heal injuries when eaten. Go ahead and help yourself."

He stared warily at the offered berry. It seemed too good to be true. "Why are you being so nice to me? Is this a trap?"

"Naw," Choppy said, picking up a Cheri Berry and eating it. "Aquila's just got a big heart and we just are here to keep her safe from when she thinks she's gotta sacrifice herself for the greater good or something."

"A big...heart?"

"I care about everyone," Aquila said, picking up a Pecha berry and biting it softly to not break it. "Helping pokemon like you is what I live for."

"Go on, lad." Chiron placed the Oran berry in the Pikachu's paws and helped himself to an Aspear berry. He bit into it slowly and felt some of his pain vanishing. He quickly shoved it into his mouth and chewed it all.

"What is your name, dear?" Aquila suddenly asked.

"I..." he stopped cold. "I don't know. I haven't remembered my past for a long time..."

"May I name you?"

The question was so simple but so unexpected. He simply shrugged and said, "I guess..."

Aquila smiled. "I have just the name. How about Algol?"

He considered it and slowly nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Later that night, after Algol and Choppy had gone to sleep, Chiron had taken his mate outside to see the moon and the stars. He could sense Aquila's emotions were troubled and knew it had to do with that Pikachu she had found. He figured she would just say good bye to Algol soon, like she did with all her other 'patients', but the look on Aquila's face told him something else.

"Aquila, my love..." the large Pikachu whispered. "What's troubling you?"

"It's Algol. He has no family and no place to go. He also feels threatened by everything. He tried to attack me when he woke up, saying no one can be trusted..." Aquila sighed unhappily. "The poor dear. He was abandoned by an unloving human and beaten by the ground pokemon. It's no wonder he doesn't trust anyone. I'm worried for him. He won't survive if he goes off on his own."

Chiron was startled. _"How could anyone attack my precious Aquila? She would never hurt anyone!"_

"Chiron, I want to adopt him."

He hesitated. "Aquila, why? What would making him our son do?"

"He has no family and he's obviously in torment. If he stays with us, I can offer him the love of a mother and help heal his poor soul." Aquila looked at Chiron with a tender look. "I am not afraid of him. Yes, he was going to attack me. But when I showed him I wasn't going to hurt him, he stopped. There is hope for him, my love. I want to give him that hope."

"And there's no telling you no, is there?" Chiron asked. Aquila shook her head. "Very well, then...I guess it is about time we began a family anyway. Even if it begins with adoption."

Aquila snuggled up to Chiron, making him blush. "Thank you...I knew you would understand."

Chiron smiled weakly. He didn't trust Algol at all but when Aquila got an idea, there was no talking her out of it. He was sure she would be a wonderful mother anyway, especially to someone like Algol. He wasn't sure if he could be a good father, but he would try. For his electric angel, Chiron would do anything.

* * *

**This came out rather lame. I haven't been in a good writing mojo lately.**

**Name definitions:**

**Aquila - the name of the constallation of the thunder eagle who carried Jupiter's thunderbolts.**

**Algol - the name of the constallation that resembles Medusa's head, which was cut off by Perseus. The name itself comes from the Arabic words **_**ras al ghul, **_**which means "the demon's head". Goes with the idea that Algol is somewhat demonic because of his torture.**

**Chiron - known as the most celebrated of the centaurs and is represented by the archer Sagittarius, which is my astrologic sign. **

**Choppy (Chop Suey) - named because I love the song Chop Suey by System of a Down. :D**

**I promise I'll try to come up with something better soon. When my depression lifts, I should write better.**


	43. Vacation: MewxCelebi

**Theme: **21. Vacation  
**Pairing: **MewxCelebi (#51Shipping)  
**Summary: **_Mew's invitation to his place both pleased and startled Celebi. What did the pink kitten have planned?  
_**Rating: **K

* * *

"Dismissed. Enjoy your time off, everyone!"

Celebi yawned and stretched. The legendaries had just ended another weekly meeting and Arceus had surprised them all by saying he needed a month long meditation period without any disturbances, so the legendaries got their first real vacation in quite some time. Not that she had any idea of what to do during her spare time. She was usually bored to death in her forest and usually amused herself by time traveling and messing around (although last time she did that, she took it a little too far and almost screwed up the creation of a new region). Unfortunately, due to her abuse of her time traveling abilities, Dialga put a seal on her powers so she couldn't time travel. Arceus called it a punishment. Celebi called it evil.

"Hey Bii."

Celebi looked over at her best friend, Azelf. The blue pixie has a grin on her face and she was bouncing around.

"Hey Azzy. What are you so happy about?"

"Cuz...Darkrai finally did it! He defied Daddy and asked me to come back with him to his island! We're gonna spend a whole month together without any interruptions!" Azelf squealed.

"What?" Celebi was shocked. It was common knowledge that Arceus hated Darkrai, but few knew that Azelf was in love with him. For Darkrai to ask Azelf to his island for the entire month while Arceus meditated...it showed either the nightmare pokemon cared about Azelf or just wanted to piss off the boss. From the way Azelf was blushing and the way Darkrai was staring after her, Celebi guessed it was the former. She gave a hug to Azelf and smiled back, even though this meant they probably wouldn't see each other for a month. Mentally she kicked herself for not making plans earlier.

"I promise I'll come and see you," Azelf whispered. They pulled away and pressed their hands against each other. "What do you have planned for the vacation?"

"Nothing, actually...I guess I'll just go home and pester humans. I wish you and I had made some plans..." Celebi sighed. "But I don't want to ruin this chance for you."

"Aw, Cele..." Azelf smiled at her. "You're my best friend. I'll see what Darkrai says about inviting you over too for a little while."

"No no, I don't want to interrupt you guys," Celebi said quickly. The truth was she knew Azelf had a powerful attraction to Darkrai and it made Celebi uncomfortable to be around them while they were together. Azelf was constantly flirting and pressing herself up to Darkrai, which made Celebi feel out of place. "I'll manage, I promise! But you can come and see me soon."

"Kay," Azelf replied. She glanced back at Darkrai and nodded. "I better go now, Cele. We're piling out and I wanna slip away before Daddy knows where I'm going."

"Okay. I'll see you soon!" Celebi said and waved as her best friend left with the nightmare reaper. She was just about to teleport home when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Hey Celery!"

A pink blur whirled around her and laughed before coming to a complete stop in front of her. She growled in irritation. It was Mew, of course. The pink kitten was crazily hyperactive and Celebi knew he had gotten into the soda.

"What now, Mew? And I told you NOT to call me Celery!"

"Want some soda?" Mew almost screamed.

"No! I just wanna go home!" Celebi yelped. Before she could fly away, Mew glomped her to the floor and hugged her.

"No you doooooooooon't. I heard you talking to Azelf. You don't have plaaaaaaaans for the whole month. I got an idea!" Mew sat up and released Celebi. "You should come up to one of my places!"

"Uh...one of your places?" Celebi questioned. "What, you have more than one place?"

"Of course! Wanna know why? IT'S BECAUSE I'M MEW!" Mew yelled and started flying off the walls and going back and forth. Celebi sighed. His invitation startled and pleased her, but what did the hyperactive pink kitten have in mind?

"Mew, will you st-HEY!" Celebi wailed as Mew grabbed her and started spinning in a circle with her.

"SO MUCH SODAAAAAA!"

"MEW, WE'RE GONNA CRASH!" Celebi screamed in alarm. They were getting closer and closer to Giratina and the other Sinnoh legends. Even though Giratina was nice sometimes, she could be very scary if ticked off. Celebi thought fast and pulled her hands out of Mew's paws. Before Mew got any further, she grabbed his tail, making him yelp loudly.

"What was that for?"

"Your health," Celebi answered. "Now calm down before I double slap you!"

"Okay okay okay..." Mew took a deep breath and smiled. "Sorry. But you still wanna come with me? I know a place I think you'll like!"

Celebi considered it. Join Mew at wherever he had in mind and goof around or head home and be lonely with nothing to do and no one to see. A headache from hyperactive swings sounded a lot better than a headache from boredom.

"Okay. I'll go with you," she replied. "Where to? Faraway Island?"

"Oh heck no! I got a much better place!" Mew said. He took her hand again and they teleported faster than Celebi could blink. She could feel that they were going somewhere very high and vaguely wondered if Mew was crazy enough to bring her to the sky.

"Open your eyes, Cele!"

She did and gasped. Her thoughts were accurate. Mew _had _brought her up to the sky...close to the stars! They were floating above a rainbow coloured cloud and she could see the shape of an island below it. Constallations connected the stars in the shape of six pokemon: Kingler, Pinser, Cubone, Koffing, Mewtwo and Dugtrio. It was beautiful and Celebi was overwhelmed.

"Where are we, Mew? This is amazing!"

"This place is called Rainbow Cloud. I lived here for a while before moving down to Faraway Island. I still come up here occasionally and fool around with the stars. See those constellations? I made them!" Mew proclaimed proudly.

"You did?" Celebi stared up at them in amazement. "Wow...I never knew you could be such an artist, Myuu!"

"Heh...there's a lot you don't know about me!" Mew replied. Thankfully Celebi's back was to him so she couldn't see his blush. "Make yourself comfortable! This place is one of my homes! And my home is your home."

"That's so nice of you. I never knew you could be such a host," Celebi said. She gathered a bit of the cloud and puffed it up with her psychic powers, making it chair shaped and jumped on it. "So cozy and pretty! How long did you live here for?"

"I found it while traveling!" Mew said. "Down below is an island that only has pokemon on it! So I figured I'd offer them my protection for a while, especially after I started seeing a human ride around on a weird machine. But he actually left the pokemon alone and only took pictures of them! I was the last one he took a picture of and he never came back after that, so I moved around. I guess you could say this is my vacation home!"

"Arceus wouldn't be happy to hear you revealed yourself in front of a human," Celebi warned.

"What Arceus doesn't know won't hurt him," Mew retorted. "Besides, what's the difference? No one can catch me!"

"But..."

"Ooh!" Mew flew over to her. "Could it be that you were worried about me, Cele?" His eyebrows lifted up and Celebi squeaked in response.

"Worried? About you? No way! You're always getting yourself into trouble, Mew! If I worried about you, I would worry myself into another time and screw up the history Arceus created!"

"Aw, but you know that isn't true!" Mew laughed. "It's okay. I would stay out of trouble for you anyway." He winked at Celebi and she turned away. "I would!"

"Whatever," she remarked. Mew's ears and tail drooped slightly but the green fairy didn't notice. "How do you get food up here?"

"I often go to the river down below to get some fruit. Are you hungry?"

"No, I just wondered," Celebi responded. In her mind, she also wondered why she let Mew convince her to come with him. Boredom just didn't seem like a good excuse anymore. Solitude might have been better for her health than being with an annoying pink cat. She yawned and closed her eyes, curling up in the cloud fluff for a nap.

_"Good, she's asleep. I'll give her an awesome surprise for when she wakes up."_

* * *

A few hours later Celebi opened her eyes and stretched. The meeting at the Hall of Origin had made her more tired than she thought. She hoped Mew didn't mind her sudden dozing.

"Oh good! You're awake!"

The fairy yawned. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was so sleepy during the meeting that I..." she stopped talking as soon as she faceed Mew and spotted the stars behind him. "M-Mew!"

"Surprise!"

While Celebi had been asleep, Mew had made another constellation. This one had an image of Celebi surrounded by a huge pink heart. The colours were astounding. She could easily see how much work Mew had put into it in such a short amount of time.

"Oh my gosh, Mew...you did this for me?" Celebi asked, gaping at the constellation.

"Who else? Only for my one and only crush in the whole legendary family!" Mew said. He floated closer to her and wrapped his tail around her body slyly. "I figured this was the best way to tell you."

"It's amazing..." Celebi said softly, a light blush on her cheek. "But you know...you are still annoying."

"Good. I got your attention that way," Mew grinned. Then his expression turned serious and a little worried. "But I'm being serious here, Celebi. I swear this isn't some dumb prank or anything. I've had these feelings for a long time. Telling you was the hardest thing I've ever done. Please, Celebi, believe me."

Celebi hesitated. "Well, you do have a talent with the stars here...and I'm not saying I don't believe you. I just thought we were too opposite to even be friends."

"Nah, I can be serious too. I told you that one of the reasons I moved around here was to give protection to the island below," Mew reminded her. "Can't I do the same to you? You don't know how much it scared me to hear you got captured by an evil human and almost died from it."

Celebi shuddered, recalling the Iron Masked Marauder. That was the most horrifying time of her life. Even the hunter who had chased her forty years ago wasn't as scary as that guy. She knew she would always be chased. Not only was she a legendary pokemon but she was special because she could travel through time. The only other one who could do that was Dialga and Dialga kept herself even more hidden than she did.

Maybe Mew's protection was a good idea. Mew was also special since he could use every move ever created by Arceus. And perhaps...something could develop between them. The fact she wasn't totally against it had to mean something.

"Yes..." Celebi whispered. "You can."

It was an unexpected turn of events. But as Celebi later learned, it really wasn't all that bad. The vacation turned into something far better than she could have imagined. And her image painted the night sky with an image of Mew beside it. Both images were circled by a heart to show the world what they had.

* * *

**Gah, so cheesy.**

**This didn't turn out how I wanted it to. My head's all stuffed up (I'm sick with a cold right now). But OH WELL IT STILL WORKS.**

**Guess I won't meet my goal of finishing this by 2011. Booooo.**

**By the way, for anyone who doesn't know, they're on Rainbow Cloud, the final area in Pokemon Snap. I loved that game SO MUCH as a kid and I was so happy to see it on Virtual Console. It's a lot of fun and really recommended.  
**


	44. No Way Out: SalamencexLucario

**Theme: **59. No Way Out  
**Pairing: **SalamencexLucario (FEMALE LUCARIO!) (MachoistShipping)  
**Summary: **_"You're not going anywhere!"  
_**Rating: **T for sexual implications and language.

**AN: **I swear this is the last one I'll do that's based off of my own pokemon.

Except for Drowning.

After this, it's LegendaryxLegendary and human pairings.

* * *

"Sala! Get the fuck in here!"

"Shit. The bitch is in heat."

"SALA!"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"You know what I want! I want you, NOW!"

"SHIT! WAIT, LUCY, NOT THE FACE!"

"Take it like a male, will ya? Jeez, you're such a whiny baby! Even I've got more balls then you do!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

"GOOD! YOU'LL SEE HOW MUCH FUCKING BALLS I REALLY DO HAVE!"

"Hold on a sec..."

"What are you doing? We were just getting started! ...HEY! That's not necessary!"

"Shut up."

"Lucy, unlock the door!"

"No! I'm making sure you have no way out of here now. You're not going anywhere!"

"Oh shi-LUCY!"

"Heheh..."

"DAMNIT WOMAN!"

"Aw, you know you love me anyway!"

"That's a tough love!"

"Which is why it's perfect for a big blue murderer like you."

"Do you HAVE to keep throwing that in my fa-HOLYSHIT!"

"Yes. Heheh..."

* * *

**I told you my Salamence (Sala) and Lucario (Lucy) were crazy.**


	45. Rejection: BlackxWhite

**Theme: **60. Rejection  
**Pairing: **BlackxWhite (or TouyaxTouko, if you prefer) (ChessShipping)  
**Summary: **_White wasn't like other girls. Black wasn't like other guys. No wonder they fit so well together.  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **I'M ON A ROLL!

And just hoping to finish this up asap. I've been working on these themes for over a year now. It's time to let it go.

* * *

Black considered himself a lucky guy.

Not only was he given a rare pokemon (his Mijumaru) and the chance to travel around Isshu, but he had met a wonderful girl named White and they had gotten together. White was the kind of girl Black liked. She was upbeat, tough, brave and she really cared about Black and not in the fake _I've got a boyfriend I'm so special _way. They had been going steady for a few months but it felt a lot longer to Black. He really felt like he had known White all his life.

He was lucky he found her.

He felt even luckier whenever White snubbed any of the boys who tried to hit on her. Black always intervened but it made him feel satisfied to see White rejecting other guys, no matter how rich, good looking or well known they were. It was plain obvious she preferred Black and she never hesitated to remind anyone of that fact.

Black did have crushes on other girls before meeting White. But he had known the pain of rejection, especially when the girls he confessed to had said he wasn't good enough in any way for them. White was the first girl who was good looking and had a good heart and mind. She saw Black for who he was and not what he looked like. She liked him better because of that as well.

"Most guys will look at me and think I'm easy because of my short shorts," she explained to him once. "But you see past that. I don't care what happens or who comes along, I'll stick with you for as long as you'll have me."

Maybe it sounded corny, but Black vowed he and White would be together forever. White wasn't like other girls. Black wasn't like other guys.

No wonder they fit so well together.

"Hey baby, are you a parking ticket? Cuz you got 'fine' written all over you."

Another corny pick up line. Black watched as White gave a verbal smack down to the next contestant and smirked. When the newcomer started to get rough, he walked over, the calmness disappearing from his eyes and being replaced by fury.

If a verbal rejection from White didn't work, a physical one from him should be enough.

* * *

**I do love ChessShipping, even though I don't like the 5th Generation.**

**This is kind of a throw back to Chapter 21, which was another ChessShipping oneshot. In my mind, I have firmly established that Black is a calm and quiet type who loses it if he gets mad enough (such as anything happening to White) and White herself may be a hot girl, but she's also a kickass type who's not willing to be picked up by every guy who hits on her. IT IS MY CANON AND THUS IT SHALL ALWAYS BE THIS WAY.**

**Shadow Star has spoken. All hail.**

**LOL**

**I'm going to bed.**


	46. Fortitude: EinxVenus

**Theme: **20. Fortitude  
**Pairing: **EinxVenus (CipherShipping)  
**Summary: **_We just have to be strong and hold out...  
_**Rating: **T for some language and sexual implications.

–noun

mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously

* * *

Venus would never have revealed it but she was worried the scheme Cipher had cooked up was too dangerous to go through with. Turning pokemon into fighting machines? Could humans even have the capabilities to control such beasts? It especially scared her when she learned she, Dakim and Ein would be taking control of Entei, Suicune and Raikou, the legendary beasts of Johto. (Lucky Miror B. only got a stupid Sudowoodo.) The thought of handling such a precious pokemon was enthralling, she had to admit. But Ein later uncovered that these fighting machines were not afraid to hurt any human at all, even their masters and she remained worried.

What could Nascour have been thinking? Was this all a good idea?

The reward was tempting. A huge cash salary, the opportunity to be a pop TV idol, control over the beautiful Suicune...and the chance to meet a hottie like Ein was excellent. She and Ein had done a lot more than just use the Under to spread shadow pokemon. They got to talking, she got to flirting and eventually Ein got to responding to it.

The hot scientist made staying in Cipher worth it. But was he really enough? Suicune had tried to attack her and nearly succeeded as well, had it not been for her Steelix getting in the way.

Venus tried her hardest to remain strong. All she had to do was follow through with the job and she was done. She would also grab Ein and start a life with him.

If he wanted her, anyway...

"Hello, Venus."

The Under idol whirled around and faced her boss. Nascour was intimidating and eerie. She had only seen him face to face a few times before. The rest of the time they kept in contact by the video camera phones.

"Why Master Nascour! What a lovely surprise," she purred. Truth be told, it was a disgusting one. She briefly wished Ein was the one who walked in and not the skirt wearing, inhuman weirdo. "And to what do I owe this honor?"

"I want a summary of what you've been able to do in this underground hell," Nascour said, leering at Venus. She shuddered at how deeply he seemed to be staring at her but she quickly composed herself. Nascour was obsessed with the plan and not with anything else.

"I've handed out ten more shadow pokemon to winners today and Miror B is still passing out shadow pokemon like candy up in Pyrite Town," she said. "Ein's doing a wonderful job, isn't he?"

"He works hard," Nascour said, still not taking his eyes off Venus. "I've heard from the peons you're spending a lot of time with him, Venus."

_Shit._

"It's completely business," Venus said coolly. "Nothing more."

"Good to know," Nascour snapped. He turned to leave the studio and paused to give Venus one last lingering look. "I would hate to hear that my two best admins are involved in something...more."

Venus blushed and turned away. "There's nothing more to it."

_"What is he playing at?"_

Nascour chuckled darkly and left. Venus sat herself in her desk, her heart beating faster than a drum. What was THAT all about? He had the eyes of someone cold and cutting and she felt naked under his gaze. It was as if he was mentally...undressing her.

The Under idol shuddered and vowed not to let this stop her. Once she got her money and Ein secured, she was out of here.

Until then, she would remain strong.

* * *

**I think I could have carried this on far longer, but I'm starting to feel burned out from writing so many Pokemon ideas. x.x **

**But we're on the home stretch! Nine more!**

**Arg, I'm not too pleased with how this came out. And it's for EinxVenus as well. I like this pairing more than I like WesxRui. FFFUUU. I predict the next ones aren't going to be too great unless I pace myself. **


	47. Mischief Managed: Many LegendxLegend

**Theme: **72. Mischief Managed  
**Pairings: **Ho-OhxRotom (WarmCircuitShipping), LatiosxArticuno (FrozenEonShipping) and ArceusxGiratina (GodModeShipping) with hints to others.  
**Summary: **_Pranksters + mistletoe + Arceus + Giratina + toast + coffee = recipe for Christmas fun  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **Merry Christmas, loves! This was originally going to be my second Halloween special, but unfortunate circumstances led me to only writing one of them. So I saved this one for Christmas instead!

This one's especially for my Regii. Love you!

* * *

The Hall of Origin was dark and quiet. All the legendary pokemon, except four of them, had gone to sleep. The ones who didn't sleep were scurrying around as quietly as can be with tiny flowers in their claws.

"Shh. Don't make a sound."

"I'm not, Arty. Just hold the mistletoe. I'll hang the string."

"This is going to be the best prank ever..."

"SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!"

Latios, Articuno, Ho-Oh and Rotom were running about in front of each bedroom door to hang up mistletoe. The reason? Christmas was tomorrow and they wanted to get secret crushes and not so secret crushes to kiss. It was Articuno's idea and she had originally planned only to tell Latios, but Rotom found out about it while she was in the circuits and threatened to expose the prank if they didn't let her and Ho-Oh help out.

"I like funny too," she explained with a grin. Articuno had to agree to the bargain.

The last door they had to hang mistletoe over was probably the most intimidating one of all. The four pokemon stood in front of it and Latios's eyes bulged.

"Are you sure? Do we even want to include Arceus in this? The boss'll kill us if he finds out we did it!"

"I'm sure," Articuno whispered back. "Think about it. Giratina wakes him up every morning. We can get them to smooch in front of everyone and it'll be hilarious."

"I say go for it," Rotom urged. "Come on, hurry up! We gotta go back to bed before someone notices we're gone!"

Latios hurriedly tied the mistletoe to a thumbtack and pressed it into the door frame. The four pranksters gave a silent motion of _mission accomplished _and hurried to their rooms.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

* * *

"MORNING MEETING AND BREAKFAST! AND IT'S MY BIRTHDAY. GET THE HELL UP!"

"Isn't he ever jolly?" Articuno groaned to her brothers. Moltres chuckled and Zapdos grunted in response. The three birds left their room and Articuno saw that her plan was working. Azelf had pressed Darkrai against the door frame for a kiss, Rayquaza had his arms around Latias while she was giggling. Even the cold hearted Mewtwo was blushing crazily when Cresselia leaned in for a touch of their lips.

"Hey Articuno."

Articuno had only just turned to the source of the voice when she felt Latios's lips press against her beak. She squealed and blushed.

"Latios, my brothers-!"

"They're gone already," Latios said with a smirk. "Come on. Giratina's just about to go into Arceus's office. Ho-Oh and Rotom are already there."

"Oh, right. The ultimate kiss!" Articuno laughed. The blue pair flew over to their hiding place and watched Giratina knock on Arceus's office door.

"Toast and coffee, Arceus," she called.

The door flung open to reveal the creation pokemon with a very eager look on his face. "YEAH TOAST!"

"Hold on, Arceus...you seem to be forgetting something," Giratina said with a smirk. She pointed to the mistletoe and Arceus sputtered something about human traditions and annoyances. "Won't you keep up with the tradition?" she asked slyly.

"What about my toast and coffee?" Arceus whined.

"This won't take long." Before Arceus could protest any further, Giratina moved in and pressed her lips to his. The four pranksters grinned at each other and nodded.

"Mischief managed!"

"WHEN I FIND OUT WHO NAILED THIS THING TO MY DOOR, I'LL FREAKING KILL THEM!" Groudon yelled from across the Hall of Origin.

"SHUT UP, GROUDON! IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN YOU! YOU KNEW I WOULD PASS UNDER IT! YOU SUCK!" Kyogre screamed back.

"Mischief DEFINITELY managed," Rotom said with an evil giggle.

* * *

**x)**

**Merry Christmas, loves.**


	48. Drowning: SwampertxGardevoir

**Theme: **91. Drowning  
**Pairing: **SwampertxGardevoir (NukemxAndromeda, BeautyandtheBeastShipping)  
**Summary: **_To hell with them all. Their lives were more important than their clans were.  
_**Rating: **I'd say K-plus to T, just for safety. Language, violence, depictions of war (which is a touchy subject to some people).

**AN: **I got hooked on this pairing as soon as I saw the shipping name for it. Silly, I know. But who can resist?

The name Andromeda comes from another constellation in the sky. If my memory serves me right, she was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia and was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea dragon as punishment for her mother angering Neptune's nymphs. (She was later saved by Perseus and married him.) The name Nukem simply is a reference to Duke Nukem. I have a friend whose favourite pokemon is Swampert and he introduced me to Duke Nukem, so it's sort of a tribute to him as well.

Last regular PokemonxPokemon.

Also, I suppose you could say this is a lot like _The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. _However, I'd rather see Nukem and Andromeda run away than go back and try to ensure peace. -shrug-

* * *

"Can you swim?"

"You know I cannot. Please don't push me!"

"Come on! You're graceful! You're slim! You can just float out!"

"No!" a young female Kirlia screamed. "I haven't mastered my psychic powers yet and I can't swim!"

The male Kirlias sneered and she shivered. Days like this were absolutely horrible. The other members of the clan looked down on her because she was an orphan and the elders believed she would bring shame on the names of Gardevoirs and Gallades for not having parents to teach her to know better. The older ones turned away from her and those who were her age simply teased and taunted her. Today she was picking flowers and wondering what to find for her evening meal when the two Kirlias practically pounced on her. The looks in their eyes told her they wanted to make her suffer.

"Please let me go!"

"Go for the water! You can be a sacrifice to the ugly mudfishes!"

"Eeek!" The Kirlia screamed loudly as she hit the water. The male Kirlias high fived each other and walked away, completely ignoring her splashing and struggling to stay at the surface.

_"I'm going to die...I'm going to drown..."_

She flailed and closed her eyes, feeling herself sink down further and further. Air bubbles rose to the surface from her lungs. She tried to hold her breath, only to suck in water. Her strength slipped away and her vision faded to black.

A burst of movement swept past her. She felt it circle her and vaguely wondered if a predator had found her. She felt something touch her, but instead of a bite through her flesh, she felt herself being lifted up.

"Hey, yo! You alright?"

She opened her eyes and immediately started coughing. Water spurted out of her mouth and she sat up. A Marshtomp was near her, looking at her with a half curious, half amused expression.

"What's a dressy pokemon like you doing in our territory?"

"Wasn't...my...choice..." she gasped out. "Two others...tried...to kill me..."

"Bullshit! My kind would never kill for fun!" the Marshtomp snapped.

"No...not your kind...mine..."

"Wha?" the Marshtomp looked confused. The Kirlia stood up and wobbled a bit before steadying herself. She gave the Marshtomp a sad look that almost broke his heart.

"I'm an orphan...a lone child, in other words. No one loves me. They think I will bring dishonour on our kind," she said softly. "Thank you for rescuing me...it was the kindest thing anyone ever did for me. My name is Andromeda. Who are you?"

The Marshtomp hesitated. If she heard the truth, she might go running off and bring back someone to kill him. That would give the 'dressy' pokemon a one up over the mudfishes. On the other hand...she looked so sad and alone. Not to mention she nearly died...still, he grimaced and opened his mouth to answer her.

"I'm Nukem. You probably know who I am. Only your kind's biggest enemy." He scowled at her expression and snapped, "Well you wanted to know! Make one move to run away and I'll throw you back in the water!"

"You just saved me. Why would I want to run from you?" Andromeda asked.

"Cuz I'm the first son of the mudfish chief! I'm so fucking important and all that bullshit! Of course if you tried to attack me, all the mudfishes will be on your ass," Nukem snapped.

"The concerns of my own don't involve me..." Andromeda said with a shrug. "Besides, you saved my life. My kind say that your kind are heartless, cold and stupid but I've seen the truth with my own two eyes today. I owe you a huge debt, Nukem," she added softly. "But why did you save me?"

Nukem shrugged. "You looked like you were in trouble. And I figured it would be good to have a dressy on my side. I'm so sick of hearing my old fish say stuff about you dressies. It's more irritating than learning."

"I see...unfortunately, I am nothing to my clan. Saving me won't make you a hero in their eyes. They might just hate you more," Andromeda said mournfully. "I'm sorry you wasted your time."

"If you hate your kind so much, why are you still with them?" Nukem asked in amazement.

"Where would I go?" was the answer. Andromeda buried her face in her small hands and a tear slid down. "Others will also look down on me, only much worse than my own. I have no friends, family or people who care. I'll die if I leave. I would have drowned today if you had not found me. No one would have cared for my death."

Nukem was silent. He had grown up believing that everyone was one big family in his clan. He knew he was special because his dad was the big cheese and everyone was practically worshipping him. One death was a tragedy in the clan, no matter who it was. He had no idea what the dressies were thinking. Why cast out one orphan?

"It doesn't seem fair. You dressies are thinking more about your pride to even take care of each other," he said. "Look where it's got you. Man, I'd like to kick their asses!"

Andromeda stared at him and giggled. "You're probably right. The elders all say we're the most beautiful and smartest pokemon of all and we should be proud of that. But even though I am the same, they make me feel different. I haven't even mastered my psychic powers."

"So? You got green hair, a white skirt and weird pink horns like the rest of 'em!" Nukem growled.

"But no parents. And those who weren't raised properly are looked down on," Andromeda reminded him.

"Fuck that!"

Andromeda smiled. "Are you concerned about me?"

"Uh..." Nukem stopped swearing at that.

"It's alright. I can sense feelings. You're mad at my own clan for abusing me like this. You can't believe someone could disregard someone so easily." Andromeda's eyes teared over again and she smiled. "Thank you. No one has ever been so caring of me before. It's...new..."

"Why are you crying?" Nukem asked with a startled look on his face. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No no...I'm happy. Happy that someone cares. It doesn't even matter that you're a mudfish and I'm one of the so called dressies. You're special, Nukem," Andromeda said. "I don't think I'll ever forget you."

"Yeah, well...you're special too," Nukem blurted out. "Even if the other dressies don't see it."

They gazed at each other, both of them feeling the same thing: a warm sensation in their chests that made their hearts beat faster. Andromeda didn't want to look away and neither did Nukem. They both knew that interaction between each other was forbidden, but they had already gone too far to stop now.

"I want to see you again," Nukem finally said.

"I want to see you too...but if our clans find out..." Andromeda's voice shook as she pictured the consequences. She would likely be beaten and scorned at more than usual for associating with a 'filthy mudfish'. "Maybe we shouldn't. We'll get in such trouble if we're found out. I might get beaten," she said, visibly shaking.

Nukem was furious. He didn't have to say anything at all. Andromeda picked up his emotions again. He would feel guilty for her getting beaten, he felt angry that they had to be enemies and not friends and he felt upset because it was all so stupid. The young Kirlia decided to act on her own emotions and she hugged the mudfish. He stiffened, thinking she would attack him, but he soon relaxed when he realize she was only seeking comfort. She had gone through a lot and his simple act of kindness had been enough to change her outlook.

"I will never forget you. Please don't forget me," Andromeda whispered.

"I won't," Nukem promised, hugging her back.

_"I know it in my heart. One day, we will see each other again."_

* * *

_Three years later..._

It had been a long time for Nukem. He had gone through so much training, fights and skill testing and it had all paid off. He was now an extremely powerful Swampert with a hungry for battle look in his eyes. He was lean, mean, muscular and (in his eyes) the most badass of his kind. The females his age were clamoring for his attention but he didn't even do so much as spit mud in their direction. He had no interest in a mate right now. Every time his father lectured him on how important it was he find a mate, his mind slipped back to that day three years ago when he met that poor drowning Kirlia. Andromeda...he wondered how she was doing. She had a look about her that was sincere, painful and beautiful. If only they could be together...

Nukem hurled another boulder at the cliff wall and shattered it. He roared, showing his triumph and he heard the females squeal with adoration at his power. Since he was the mudfish clan's next heir, he was quite the catch, the 'biggest fish in the sea'. None of them cared about him, only who he was destined to become. In his eyes, those females were worthless and could all go to hell.

"Good work, son," his father said from behind him. "Your power could put fear into even the dressies' elders, I'm sure."

Nukem shrugged. He didn't care who he put fear into.

"Dad, why do you hate the dressies so much?"

His father glowered. "You know why, Nukem. They look down on us and they use their overpowered minds to scheme and take away land and food from us. They even went as far as to kill my sister when I was younger. They're too prideful and arrogant. They shouldn't even be here, so close to us."

Nukem grunted in response and his father snarled. "That's why I've been waiting for you to grow strong. You're now the most powerful one of our kind. You're a beast, Nukem. You're going to make those dressies pay."

"What?" Nukem never heard anything like this before. What was his father getting at?

"In seven sunsets, we're going to declare war on those dressies and drive them out," his father informed him. "Our kind needs both land and water to live and they're taking up too much land. Now that you are strong, you can carry out my revenge for me. You will be the one to lead our kind into war and either drive them out or kill them all."

Nukem was stunned. Was his father crazy? War? He thought of Andromeda again and gritted his teeth.

"I will not! War is stupid and bullshit! I'm not going to be used for your own fucking reasons!"

"You dare disobey your father?" the chief roared. "I still retain power, Nukem! The war has been declared and the battle starts in seven sunsets! And if you DARE disobey me..." his voice lowered dangerously. "I will disown you. You will be cast out of our kind. Do you want to become our enemy instead?"

"You're sending me out to possibly die against them!" Nukem roared back. "How can you call yourself the chief? You'll just make us die for your own stupid reasons!"

"Honour is not a stupid reason," his father snapped. "Get rested, son. We fight soon."

The chief walked away and left Nukem growling angrily. He wasn't going to fight...not only did he not want to, but the thought of having to fight the Gallades and Gardevoirs made him stop cold. What if he found Andromeda on the battlefield?

The next six days were filled with agony. Nukem continued to train and work out but his movements were robotic. He didn't care about what he was doing or what was going on around him. A messenger had been sent to declare the war and it was responded when he came back suffering a gash from a leaf blade attack. Everyone was tense and scared. Nukem was pissed off more than anything.

Finally, the seventh sunset had arrived. It was time to go to war. Still angry at his father for forcing him to do this, Nukem reluctantly led his kind into the enemy terrictory. Many Gallades had lined up with some Gardevoirs to wait for their arrival, the eldest of them standing a bit further ahead of the rest. Once the Swamperts stood in line before them, he spoke with an arrogant tone.

"Welcome to our forest, mudfishes. Are you prepared to die?"

Nukem wanted to call the whole thing off, but he just shook his head. "Death won't come easily. We're fierce, strong, powerful and we can break your bones with our bare hands. You better just run if you know what's good for you, dressy."

The elder extended his blades from his elbows. "Come at me then."

The Swamperts roared loud enough to shake the trees and everyone charged. Nukem was no fool; he sparred with the elder first. He was quick enough to dodge the sharp leaf blades and he delivered a heavy blow with a boulder to the elder, who recoiled in pain. Nukem jumped forward, prepared to snap his neck, but the Gallade was smarter. He teleported and reappeared behind Nukem and landed a psycho blade on his back. Nukem growled and grabbed the elder, slamming him fiercely in the ground with seismic toss.

"You're nothing but bullshit," he snapped and used seismic toss again. The elder was losing badly. Nukem roared loudly and called for everyone to summon a wave of muddy water. The filthy wave crashed on all their enemies and flushed them all out. The psychics countered by summoning the leaves of the forest and sending them all at the mudfishes. Nukem called for everyone to protect, but not all of them had the strength to use their barrier and they were hit.

The elder that Nukem fought had to retreat. Nukem rushed around, attacking other dressies and hoping he could just scare them out of the territory. Briefly he wondered if Andromeda was here and wondered if she would recognize him if she was. He also wondered if he would recognize her. He remembered she was a Kirlia with a battered and abused look in her eyes. She was ignored and unwanted by her own kind. He wondered if she had left after they parted ways, even after she said she couldn't.

Screams filled the air. Nukem was surrounded by the dead and the dying. Some of them were his own and some of them were the enemies. Panic seized him and he started to shake.

_"I don't want to do this anymore."_

His father was stupid. They were fighting over a fucking forest. But these damned dressies and even his own kind were too stubborn and prideful to stop fighting each other. Instead of trying to co-exist, they had to wipe the other off the face of the earth. It wasn't right.

A Gardevoir's scream interrupted his thoughts. Another bulky male Swampert was standing over her with a cocky grin on his face. The Gardevoir was badly injured and her eyes were shut. What was a female doing on this battlefield? Nukem had instructed only the most powerful males to aide him here because he didn't want any of the females involved. That would be like asking them to die. Unless...

_"Can it be?"_

Two Gallades ran past them. One of them looked back and just shrugged. "It's about time she died. She's never any worth to our kind."

"Wasn't that the reason why the elders wanted her to fight? So she would die? Face it, the elders are smart. They made that stupid orphan girl fight just so she could die and when we win, we're rid of her."

Nukem felt his temper snap. He summoned another wave of muddy water and made those two Gallades stop in their tracks. The rage in his body turned him into a fierce beast and he grabbed the two Gallades by the neck, squeezing them tightly.

"Who is that girl?" he growled. The Gallades were choking and were staring at him with wide eyes. Nukem loosened his grip to give them room to breathe so he could hear the name he desperately needed to hear. "Tell me her name!"

"A...Andro...meda..." one of them got out. Nukem's temper rose again and he snapped the necks of both the Gallades. He hurried back to where the Gardevoir lay and where one of his own was about to stomp on her head. In a panic, he quickly shoved the other Swampert out of the way and assumed a defensive stance.

"Nukem? Hey man, what are you doing?" the Swampert asked in confusion.

"This is stupid. You're picking on a female. Get lost, mudface," Nukem snarled.

"Dude, you're protecting the enemy! What are you thinking?"

"She's not an enemy!" Nukem roared. He grabbed a boulder beside him and hurled it at the Swampert, sending him flying. Nukem turned around and took a good look at the fallen Gardevoir. She was hurt but she was alive and breathing and Nukem gave a silent thanks to Arceus that he had found her in time.

"Andromeda! Hey, Andromeda! Wake up!"

"Mmmmmmmm...am...I dead?" she mumbled. Nukem snorted and picked her up. She was so slim and light, but she had gotten so beautiful. Her green hair was a bit longer than normal Gardevoirs and her dress-like parts were dragging behind her. But she was still bruised and seeing the dark purple spots infuriated Nukem. His kind had put her in danger. No one else mattered now but her.

"No. Even better. I've found you, Andromeda. Remember me?" Nukem asked. "Your savior from the water?"

Andromeda opened her eyes and gasped. It took her a few precious seconds for her to remember the day she was pushed in the lake and to remember him.

"Nukem..." she whispered. "It's you!"

He smiled. It was the first time he had let a smile cross his face in a long time. Andromeda threw her arms around him and held on tightly, as if afraid to let him go.

"You remembered me...thank you so much...you're my savior two times now..."

"Hey, no big deal," Nukem informed her. "Except that I've betrayed my father and his stupid schemes for revenge and this has officially made me his enemy. But hey, it's no big deal."

"Your father?" Andromeda's eyes widened. "Nukem, you risked yourself for me?"

"I had to," Nukem replied with as much honesty as he could muster up. "Andromeda, I never forgot you. And what my father wants me to do is wrong. I never wanted to start this war. And I don't want to end it."

"I never forgot you either, Nukem," Andromeda said in a whispery voice. "I always knew you were special." She started to say something else, but another boulder flew by their heads. Nukem pulled Andromeda down just before both of them got hit.

"I'm now an enemy to the Swamperts," Nukem muttered. "And you're unwanted by the dressies. We should just run and let everyone destroy each other."

"What? But...Nukem..."

"Andromeda, if we stay here, we're as good as dead!" he snapped. "I don't want to die now that I found you! What, do you want to die when I just saved your life?"

"No," Andromeda admitted. "I'm just...shocked. You want to run away with me?"

Nukem nodded. Andromeda didn't even need to think twice. "Then let's run, Nukem. Now!" It was the first time she ever spoke so fiercely. It startled the both of them but they had no time to waste. Andromeda put her hand in Nukem's and they fled through the forest. Anyone who saw them was silenced by Nukem's power and Andromeda's psychic waves. (During the three years they were apart she had grown strong and mastered her psychic powers.) They continued to run until both of them were exhausted and they found a good resting spot on top of a cliff. Andromeda figured they had gone far enough from their clans to not have anyone following them. They were finally safe.

"Nukem?"

Nukem looked over at Andromeda. She was sitting down and panting but she was looking up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you...um...choose me to run with you?"

"What, you can't sense what I'm feeling anymore?" Nukem chuckled.

"I can, but we were taught only read the minds of those who will allow us to."

"Bah." Nukem waved his arm. "You're not with your clan anymore. Do what you want. Even read my mind or my emotions."

_"It's easier than speaking."_

Andromeda considered this and closed her eyes. Nukem didn't bother to stop her; he wanted her to see what he was feeling for her. It didn't take her long to decipher his feelings and she blushed.

"I was the only one you thought of during the past three years...you didn't want to fight the war because you were afraid I would die from it...you were looking for me even when you fought the elder...Nukem, reading your emotions makes me feel so warm and...loved. Do you love me?"

"You should know," Nukem said sheepishly.

"I don't because I've never been loved before. This is very new...but it's very pleasant," Andromeda said, smiling. "Will you take me as your mate, then?"

Nukem paused and then said, "Only if you love me, too."

"I do," Andromeda said, standing up. "At least I think I do. You feel so important to me. I feel like I want to spend my life with you." She floated over to Nukem and kissed his face.

_To hell with their clans. The mudfishes can burn and the dressies can drown in hell._

* * *

**I spent a lot of time on this. I got really bored and lonely during Christmas since Regii went on a vacation in Italy and my family...is just being stupid (notably my sister...again).**

**I'll keep plodding along. Maybe I can reach chapter 50 before the end of 2010.**


	49. In The Storm: LancexLucy

**Theme: **96. In The Storm  
**Pairing: **LucyxLance (OrochiShipping)  
**Summary: **_Lance was sure he found a crazy woman.  
_**Rating: **K plus for safety?

**Fun fact: **Orochi is Japanese for 'snake'. It is also the name for a Sonic villain character I made up a while ago.

**AN: **I'm not actually supportive of this pairing, but I thought this would be a fun experiment.

* * *

Could Dragonairs actually control weather? The truth was they could, but Lance's Dragonairs were so exhausted by the Elite Four battles Kanto's Shitenou had with Hoenn's and Lance didn't want to make them work anymore today. He was riding on his Dragonite to return to the Cove Lily Hotel in Lilycove. If he was late, Agatha was sure to lose her temper at him and Lorelei...Lance shuddered. Despite being the leader of the Elite Four in Kanto, Lorelei had it in her head she was a better trainer than Lance because of type match ups. She annoyed him sometimes.

It had been an exhausting day, one he wouldn't mind forgetting. The Hoenn Elite Four had issued a friendly challenge to the Kanto Shitenou. Nothing more than a little competition. It had been member versus all members. Lance took Sidney and Phoebe down easily with his dragons, but he had barely managed to handle Glacia's ice types and Drake was older and wiser when it came to training dragons.

None of the Elite Four members had seen the storm clouds ride in until it was too late. What's worse was Lance had thought he would have been okay to ride back on one of his dragons and hadn't bothered to book a ferry with the other three. He wanted to save his money.

Boy did he regret it.

The storm was something Kyogre herself must have conjured up. It was raining hard and his Dragonite was even having trouble with vision. By the time he got to Lilycove City, his clothes were soaked and his hair, normally styled upward, was hanging off the side of his face. He looked more like a drowned Rattata than the leader of the Kanto Elite Four.

"Hmph. Didn't think I'd find anyone else out here."

Lance looked up to see a woman with long black hair with two red streaks in it. She had strangely slanted red eyes, carried two bags in her hands and was regarding Lance with a bemused look.

"What's an Elite Four member doing out in the rain?"

"What's a shady lady doing out in a storm?" Lance retorted. The woman chuckled and shrugged.

"I'm a trainer too, you know. And a good one. I trampled flowers and braved storms to be as good as I am today. Storms that were even worse than this one."

A crack of lighting flashed across the sky and a loud rumble of thunder shook the ground. Lance looked at the woman strangely. "Are you serious? This storm's pretty bad."

"Yeah, I'm serious. Besides, I got bored. I wanted to get out, do some shopping, go for food. No big deal."

"Who are you anyway?" Lance asked.

"I'm Lucy. I'm the Pike Queen for the Battle Frontier," she replied.

It suddenly clicked. Lance had heard of Hoenn's Battle Frontier before and the seven powerful Frontier Brains that ruled each facility. So this was the so called Pike Queen...Lance studied her through the rain and was surprised she didn't look anything like an actual queen. (Then again, Shitenou means _four heavenly kings_ and neither Agatha nor Lorelei were kings or heavenly.)

But this wasn't the Battle Frontier. This was Lilycove City.

"What are you doing here?" Lance questioned. "This isn't the Battle Frontier."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I don't live at that amusement park. Since you're so goddamn nosy, I might as well tell you I came here to do some shopping. I was just about to head home."

Lance's sense of righteousness kicked in. "In a storm like this?"

"Please, I've been through worse," Lucy snapped.

"Still, it would be safer if you waited until it let up. Why don't you come up to where the Shitenou are bunking and warm up?" Lance offered. He meant it out of kindness, but Lucy was suspicious.

"Why? What's a member of Kanto's Elite Four get out of inviting a woman like me up to his room?"

"Wh-what? Wait, I don't mean it like that!" Lance said, getting flustered. "Look, I'm a nice guy. I just don't want to see you get hurt or sick. You aren't exactly dressed for the cold." It was true. Lucy was only wearing a light windbreaker over her revealing outfit. She didn't want to reveal it, but she was shivering underneath. A few moments of warmth might be a good idea after all...

"Ah...alright. But only for a little while," Lucy said. Lance pushed the door open and was promptly greeted by the smack of a cane.

"You're late! I told you that you should have gotten a ferry ticket, you ignorant deadbeat excuse for a trainer!"

"Agatha, not now..." Lance moaned. "I just got out of the rain. You can lose your temper with me later."

"I'll do more than just lose my temper, Lance! How would you like to go without supper? Or have a golf ball sized lump on your head from my cane?" Agatha hollered.

"Forget it, you old crone!" Lance retorted. "I'll just order my own food and snap your cane! How would you like that?"

"Show some respect for the elderly!"

"Lady..." Lucy said, staring at Agatha. "Who the hell peed in your cornflakes this morning? Or did someone take your set of gold teeth?"

"HOW DARE YOU?"

"No, how dare you?" Lucy retorted. "People don't deserve respect because of age. People deserve respect for the work they do. I know you as Agatha of the Kanto Elite Four, right? You've obviously worked hard. I used to have respect for you, but wacking the younger people just made me lose it."

Agatha, for once, was at a loss for words. Her face darkened and she said, "Young woman, you had better be removing yourself from my sight. My Arbok won't hesitate to take a bite out of your hair."

"Neither will my Seviper for your cane," Lucy replied calmly. She strutted past Agatha, pulling Lance with her. The dragon master was dazed. How could anyone go up against Agatha and live?

"You're not afraid of anything are you?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Lucy said with a shrug. "The only thing to fear is fear itself." Another loud boom of thunder shook the hotel. Lance jumped in surprise but Lucy didn't seem fazed. "Think of it as nature's own fireworks."

"Fireworks are easier to predict," Lance muttered.

"So where is your room, Nice Guy?" Lucy retorted. "Or are you just sleeping here in the lobby?"

"Uh...follow me," Lance said. He led Lucy upstairs and down the hall to a room with 1337 on it. He got his key out and opened the door. Lucy was pleasantly surprised to see it was clean.

"If you want, I can see if Lorelei can lend you some clothes," Lance offered, peeling off his wet cape and jacket.

"No thanks. I'll just take a towel," Lucy replied. "I don't wear other people's clothing."

"Fair enough." Lance tossed her a towel and she took off her windbreaker. He paused, studying Lucy's curvy and slim body. _"Wow. She's...a knockout."_

"You mind?" Lucy snapped. Lance looked up and blushed. "What were you doing, inspecting the merchandise?"

"Do you think of yourself as merchandise?" Lance retorted.

"Sometimes. I have a lot of fanboys who only battle me for the sake of looking at me. It gets irritating that they think my body is just something to gawk at. I would have thought the leader of Kanto's Elite Four would have more decency..."

"Hey, hold on!" Lance yelped. "I'm sorry. It's just I haven't seen such a pretty girl like you before. And before you make one more accusation of me getting you here for that, I wasn't. I'm just an honest guy."

Was that a blush on Lucy's cheeks? She looked away so fast that it didn't register with Lance right away.

"Honesty...so little people have it anymore. It's a nice change," she admitted and dried herself off. Lance smiled, picked up the phone and called for room service. He quickly ordered coffee and muffins as Lucy started to dry her hair out. When that was done, she sat down in a chair and Lance felt awkward. What now? The rain wasn't letting up anytime soon. What did he and this girl have in common? She didn't seem like someone who enjoyed talking. Her cold exterior made her almost unapproachable and Lance felt a bit intimidated. He almost felt relieved when she started talking instead.

"I've never liked idle chatter...if you were expecting me to just stay here and talk, I'd rather go home in this weather."

Lance shook his head. He was sure Lucy was a crazy woman. "You're nuts. Why don't you just tell me about yourself? How did someone as stubborn as you make it to the Battle Frontier and become a queen of battling?"

"A lot of hard work, will, experience and grit. I became a trainer when I was eleven and my Seviper was my starter. I have a fondness for pokemon that slither and bind their prey with their long bodies, you see. It's shown in my other pokemon as well." Lucy had a faint smile on her lips. "I could say the same for you, Lance of the Kanto Elite Four. You have two Dragonairs, don't you? Even though they could have evolved, you kept them in their middle evolution. Why is that?"

"Dragonairs are calm and gentle. I thought they would be good to have in Kanto's nice climate," Lance replied. "And...their long bodies are easy to use in battle," he admitted.

Lucy's eyes lit up. "Finally, something in common. Dragonairs resemble a serpent in a way. To be honest I've always wanted one, but I never had the time to go to Kanto and find one. Scott rarely gives us vacations," she said.

"Johto has plenty of Dratinis as well. My grandfather is the elder of a clan that tames dragons and keeps the legends of dragons alive. He often gives a Dratini to those who pass his test and earn his acknowledgment. In fact..." Lance lowered his voice a bit. "The Dratinis he gives out are very special. They're the only kind in the world to know the move Extremespeed. It's a sworn secret only known to clan members."

"So why did you just tell me?" Lucy asked.

"You don't talk much. I doubt you would tell anyone."

"Fair enough."

A knock on the door signaled the coffee and muffins had arrived. Lance accepted them from the hotel maid and they dug right in. For all her talk about not liking to talk, Lucy sure had a lot to say when it came to serpents. Maybe the coffee had loosened her up. They talked about everything, from serpents to their families to the pokemon they raised to how they achieved such great positions in life. The storm soon subsided and both of them were surprised not to hear the thunder and heavy rain anymore.

"I guess I better go home," Lucy said. "Thanks for entertaining me, Lance."

"I was glad to. You're an interesting woman, Lucy," Lance replied. "Even though you don't make yourself out to be it."

"Heh. It's been so long since I found someone I had so much in common with. It's been fun, dragon man. But I better get home." Lucy paused. "I guess this is good bye."

"It doesn't have to be. Here." Lance scrawled out a number and an e-mail address on a scrap of paper. "We can stay friends. Can I have your contact info?"

"No."

Lance frowned. "Why not?"

"I only give my contact info out to guys who take me to dinner," Lucy said slyly.

"Challenge accepted," Lance said smoothly.

* * *

**Gah, I had this sitting in my documents for about a month now. I was tempted to scrap it BUT I FOUND A WAY TOO MAKE IT WORK, PRAISE BEN!**

**...er, sorry. I got hooked on creepypasta and the Haunted Majora's Mask.**


	50. Puzzle: MichaelxOC

**Theme: **98. Puzzle  
**Pairing: **MichaelxTani (XDHeroShipping)  
**Summary: **_"What the crap? How did you do that?"  
_**Rating: **K plus because Michael is a pottymouth. :D

**AN: **YAAAAAAAAAAY, MOAR OF MY OC AND MICHAEL!

Once this is finished, my main project is my XD novelization. PLEEEEEEEEEASE READ IT!

* * *

Tani was a little suspicious at how fast she and Michael got ushered out of Phenac City when they both knew something terrible was about to happen but Michael didn't pay any attention. He was way too excited about those Battle CDs they got for free from the lady at the entrance and wanted to play with them right away. The redhead dragged Tani to the scooter and they blasted off in a cloud of sand.

"Michael, I've got a bad feeling about this...we're suppose to warn the mayor about the attack. Cipher could move in at any time!" Tani said in an urgent tone.

"Relax! Where's your optimism? They'll be okay. 'Sides, I heard they have a great trainer in that town by the name of Justy. If he's so great, he can probably protect the town," Michael shot back. Tani sighed and considered this. She supposed Michael was right about that...and they did deserve a break after chasing Cipher around and liberating ONBS. A little bit of fun couldn't hurt, could it?

"Hey, look up ahead!"

Tani glanced up and saw the most beautiful tower she had ever seen in her life. With its pure white shade and shining textures, it seemed more like a pillar to heaven than a games facility. That's the RealGam Tower? It was amazing!

Michael parked the scooter and Tani hopped off, still not taking her eyes off the dazzling sight. "This place is beautiful...who built it?"

"You're not gonna believe this," Michael said as they walked to the entrance. "But it was our enemy that built it five years ago. They intended to use it as their base to raise money, from what I remember Mom telling me. But when they were sent packing, they left the tower behind. Phenac City took over it and turned it into a game place."

"This place belonged to Cipher?" Tani asked in disbelief. "Do they still have ties here?"

"I doubt it," Michael replied. They made it to the central dome and paused to check out the four coloured pokeball shapes in the wall along the door. "Hmm...weird. Wonder what this was for."

Tani peeked at the blue sphere. "It kinda looks like a reader of some sort but it's deactivated."

"I guess that proves Cipher wasn't here. If they were, this door would be locked. Come on!" Michael urged. "I wanna play with the Battle CDs!"

"Alright, alright...sheesh..." Tani grumbled. The pair entered the main dome and quickly got information on what was available. Tani's interest was immediately drawn to Battle Bingo, which was in the opposite room from the Battle Sims, so she and Michael split up. The young brainiac dove right into Battle Bingo and tackled it with enthusiasm.

Battle Bingo was exactly what it sounded like: a bingo that consisted of battles. Each pokemon had a specific type and a move that matched their type, which was her strong point. The card itself also consisted of strategy and knowing where to flip and when. She saw it as a puzzle and immediately started playing.

"Let's see...if I catch a fire pokemon, I can take on those grass types...and I can use this to catch a water type..." she mumbled."But I need a spare master ball...and some more entry points...so if I do this, this will happen..."

Fifteen minutes later Tani presented a cleared card to the receptionist and received some pokecoupons. She decided to go check on Michael and see how he was doing with the battle sims.

"GAH, WHY IS THIS SO FRIGGING HAAAAAAAAAAAAARD?"

Tani raised an eyebrow as she walked into the room. Michael was standing in front of the receptionist and screaming at her.

"This is suppose to be for battles! Why the heck do you have to make it so damn puzzling?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't make the CDs. I just sell them and activate them. I can give you hints to help you clear the CDs, if you want..."

"No! I just want to battle!"

"Michael!" Tani snapped. "Don't be so rude! What's the matter here?"

"Each Battle CD is a puzzle! I hate puzzles!" Michael snapped back.

"You're so immature," Tani said and rolled her eyes. "What are you having trouble with?"

"It's Battle CD number one," the receptionist explained. "You have to defeat the opponent within two turns using a Pidgeot against a Tropius."

"But the frigging Tropius uses fly and dodges the attacks!" Michael added angrily.

Tani checked the moveset of the Pidgeot and slapped her forehead. "Did you use the move Gust?"

"No..."

"That explains it. I won't bother telling you why. Go see for yourself, stupid," Tani remarked, shoving Michael over to the sim pad. He glared at her before being transported to the simulated arena. Tani turned back to the receptionist and apologized. "He's a major hothead. I hope he wasn't too rude..."

"Thank you, young lady. It's nce to see he has a polite girlfriend to help him out," the receptionist said. Tani blushed red and shook her head.

"W-We're not boyfriend and girlfriend! We're just best friends!"

The receptionist smiled but she didn't press the subject. Michael appeared a minute later with a mixed look of anger and astonishment.

"Why did gust hit Tropius while it was flying?"

"Because it's a move that uses the wind. Airborne pokemon are vulnerable to it and Tropius is part grass, making Gust a very powerful move against it," Tani recited.

"I hate you, nerd," Michael mumbled.

"Love you too, you anger issue maniac," Tani sarcastically retorted. "Come on, let's go back to Phenac. We've been away for too long now. There's still a job on hand," she reminded Michael. The pair left the RealGam tower to head back to the city of water, both of them desperately hoping Cipher didn't attack while they were busy playing.

* * *

**Yes, I KNOW THIS IS SOMEWHAT SHORT and I KNOW I DIDN'T MENTION TRUDLY AND FOLLY BEING DUMBASSES AT THE ENTRANCE. This is only a snippet of a much bigger project still to come. Once the last five themes are taken care of, it'll...wait, just look up at the top. FFFFF.**

**Also, I DID IT! I managed to reach fifty themes before 2011! It's not as good as getting all of them done, but STILL! I'M ALMOST DONE AND I AM ON THE VERGE OF FINISHING AND HOLY SHIT IT'S BEEN TOO FUCKING LONG and I should stop swearing now...and abusing my caps lock button.**

**Hokay, so what's left?**

**14. Smile - BrockxSabrina (MangaShipping). **_**This is the very last request I received and it is for Captain Black Knight. Sorry it's taking so long.**_

**18. Rainbow - Ho-OhxRotom (WarmCircuitShipping). **_**Gah, I will be honest here, I have an idea for it that will probably turn into a drabble. It almost feels awkward if it's not gijinka. But if it were gijinka, it wouldn't make sense. This pairing is crack to the extreme!**_

**22. Mother Nature - KrisxSilver (RedemptionShipping). **_**I consider this to be 'the forgotten theme' because I had completely forgotten about this theme. For some reason it didn't make it to my final list and the numbers confused me. I had ten themes left, but only nine listed, so I went back and double checked. This is for the RedemptionShipping group on DA. **_

**35. Hold My Hand - RedxYellow (SpecialShipping). **_**This is a VERY special (no pun intended) theme. It's a sequel to Tears and it will be a collaberation with my beloved Regii. Now what comes after a marriage proposal? x3**_

**100. Relaxation - RedxYellow (SpecialShipping). **_**Well, since I began the themes with the first one on the list back in Kisses and Hugs, I figured I should end it with the last one on the list and what better way to end this long project than with my PokeSpe OTP?**_

**Bear with me, my lovely readers! We're almost there!**


	51. Rainbow: Ho ohxRotom

**Theme: **18. Rainbow  
**Pairing: **Ho-OhxRotom (WarmCircuitShipping)  
**Summary: **_And seeing natural colours for the first time brought a look of amazement to her face that he loved instantly.  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: **Happy New Year everyone! My last five themes will be my first written things for 2011! :D

* * *

Colour was not a natural part of a ghost's life.

Ho-Oh should have guessed that right from the start but he did think that the little plasma bubble knew what colour was from living inside a TV. She surprised him by asking him if black, white and gray were real colours. Then she explained that the place she was born in was called the _Old Chateau _for a reason. It was so old that the TV inside was an outdated black and white one. Colour was not a part of her life.

And he loathed that. He was the rainbow pokemon. Bleak shades like that looked like misery in his eyes. Each of the seven colours he painted the sky with represented something special and important to both humans and pokemon.

_Red. _The colour of passion and love that sits on top of the rainbow. They say love conquers all, which is why Ho-Oh chose to have it on the top.

_Orange. _Like the fruit, the colour was a blessing for nourishment and a bountiful harvest. Orange is also born when red (love) and yellow (warmth) meet, like the fruit itself.

_Yellow. _Innocence and warmth. Yellow was the colour of the sun that touched the earth with a gentle and warm feeling. The sun blessed all growing things, plant or animal and provided a warm climate to flourish under.

_Green. _All living things inhabit the green earth and many healthy plants started off as green as well. Green was the colour of nature and nature was beautiful.

_Blue. _The calming colour of water. Blue auras meant someone was peaceful and calm. Water is also vital to all living things and is a part of nature. The colour blue also covers more than half the planet and is something no one can live without.

_Purple. _The heart of every rainbow. Purple symbolizes the end of life, which Rotom could relate to the most. It was the colour of shadow and darkness, but it was a solid reminder of wherever light was, shadow was sure to be there too.

Rotom's world was not made of colours. But Ho-Oh would change that. He took her outside under the bright yellow sun and flew into the sky, painting the seven colours from one side of the horizon to the other. The natural colours glowed with the beauty of nature and Rotom squealed with delight and amazement.

Ho-Oh instantly loved that look on her face as much as he loved her.

* * *

**Woo for drabbles!**

**Yes, this is a total WTFery pairing. I got it from Regii, who got it from his best friend. **

**Oh yeah, did anyone catch that subliminal SpecialShipping reference? X3**


	52. Mother Nature: KrisxSilver

**Theme: **22. Mother Nature  
**Pairing: **KrisxSilver (RedemptionShipping)  
**Summary: **_Nothing between them now but some air, a camp fire and some annoying sleeping bags.  
_**Rating: **T for sexual innuendos everywhere and some language.

**AN: **Welcome to the 'forgotten' theme! Since I only did this pairing once before, I figured I'd do it again.

Silver and Kris are both eighteen in this.

* * *

When Silver had the idea of a camp out, Kris was immediately struck with suspicion. Silver hardly liked to do anything aside from train to be stronger and contemplate his father's murder (something Kris always had to talk him out of). She was the one who typically dragged Silver around to try things he never got to try when he was a kid. He never had the suggestion to do anything himself.

But Kris knew Silver was devious. He had to be planning something.

_"Only one way to find out."_

Kris packed her sleeping bag and several of necessary things she knew she would need. She was used to being out in the great outdoors and camping since she had camped out a lot during her journey across Johto and Kanto, so it's not like she was complaining about being dragged out into the eerie woods.

Where it would be just her, Silver and Mother Nature.

The thought sent a shiver of excitement through Kris. She and Silver had been going out together for a year since they both turned sixteen, but Silver's cold side often kept him from doing anymore than holding her hand and giving her a peck on the cheek. She remembered the first time they had their first actual kiss - instigated by her, of course, and only when no one else was around. Silver was reluctant but Kris eased his nerves and was surprised he was actually a good kisser, despite not having any experience at all (not that she did either, but she knew what a kiss felt like from her mother, at least...poor Silver didn't even have that). A year of being together helped Kris understand Silver was afraid of his emotions and would only display affection when they were completely out of the public eye.

Ilex Forest was thick and lush. The ideal place to camp out for them, since humans rarely ventured in there at night.

She couldn't wait.

* * *

"Let's see...sleeping bag, flashlight, clothes, pajamas, cards, food...stuff for the bathroom...hope Silver's got the rest of it," Kris muttered. She reached for her Pokegear and was about to select Silver's number when it rang. The caller ID flashed and Kris rolled her eyes.

"Nice timing. I was just about to phone you," she said instead of saying hello.

"Then that must mean you're ready, right?" Silver asked.

"Sure. Of course. Hey, what gave you this idea anyway?"

"Hormones," Silver answered. Kris's eyes widened and she turned red. Then Silver chuckled. "I'm only kidding. I thought it would be something we would both enjoy doing together...and alone. It's not in that way, I promise."

"Sure, right. And I'm a Celebi," Kris retorted. Silence followed that statement and Kris mentally slapped herself. Silver wasn't good with her joke telling. "I'm kidding! If I really was, I'd have time traveled back to the day your father started Team Rocket and slapped him senseless!"

"You and me both," Silver mumbled.

"Um...anyway...what time will you be here?" Kris asked.

"I'm right outside your house, stupid."

Kris groaned. "Clever. You always were a stalker."

"And look where it got us."

"Don't knock it," she warned him. "I'll be down in a minute," she added and then hung up. She quickly double checked her bags and swung them over her back before heading downstairs.

To her surprise, Silver was downstairs and talking to her mother. Her mom was asking embarrassing questions about how their relationship was going and about Silver as well. Silver was getting flustered and shot a look at Kris that said, _"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"_

"I certainly hope you two haven't done anything that you will later regret. Of course in my day, we treated sex like something forbidden and precious, but young people today treat it so casually. I've had the talks with Kris before but even a young champion like her could lose control of her hormones-"

"MOM!" Kris shrieked. "This is not something you need to discuss with my boyfriend!"

"But you told me that Silver's father didn't care much for him and his mother wasn't there. Surely someone would need to give him the 'talk' that all teenagers need..."

"It's alright, Kris," Silver said quietly. Then he smirked. "Your mother's only trying to keep me in line and ease her own fears of her daughter spending the night with someone who's only education was from criminals and jailbait dogs. After all, we'll be in Ilex Forest all night and the closest town is only Azalea...who will help you if I decide to lose control?"

Both Kris and her mother stared at Silver in shock. "Young man, you had better not be serious," the older woman said in a low tone.

"Don't worry, I'm not. I'm just having fun with the idea that my upbringing means I'm a bad person," Silver retorted.

"HOKAY, I think we're gonna be going now..." Kris said loudly to avoid more awkward moments. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay Mom? Bye. Have a good night tonight," she quickly added, kissing her mother on the cheek and rushing out, dragging Silver behind her. She heard Silver chuckling and spun in on him. "Silver, that was completely rude! You can't talk to my mom like that!"

"I wasn't trying to be rude but I was trying to get her to stop embarrassing me and you," Silver answered. "And it worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but I'll never hear the end of it now..." Kris groaned. "Just wait. When I get home tomorrow, she'll start lecturing me again. You know she gave me hell when we first started going out."

"Send me the tape for this one."

"You're not funny!" Kris growled.

"I don't try to be," Silver retorted. "Let's just go already." He called out his Crobat and got on its back while Kris called out her Xatu and got on as well. The couple flew to Azalea Town and stopped in the local pizza place for dinner. They ordered a half and half, Kris ordering vegetarian and Silver getting Hawaiian.

"How can you stand olives?"

"I don't," Kris said and plopped one in her mouth with a smile. "But they taste good among the cheese."

"Weirdo," Silver muttered, taking a bite of his slice.

"Yeah, but you love it," Kris teased. Silver glanced around to make sure no one was watching and he rolled his eyes at her. "Oh stop acting so paranoid. People probably already suspect we're a couple just by the two of us sitting here together. Stop making such a big deal out of it."

Silver bit his lower lip and stared as his girlfriend took another bite out of her slice. Sure it was obvious to the public that two teenagers of the opposite sex who sit together were more or less likely a couple but he had a reason to be paranoid. If the word got out that he was Giovanni's son, underground Team Rocket members might try to use him or even Kris to get to him. Team Rocket had already been broken up twice now but Silver knew there were always some who remained loyal to his father and waited patiently for him to return and continue Team Rocket's evil schemes.

He wanted to tell Kris this, but he was afraid she would think it was too dangerous to be around him. If there was one thing Silver couldn't stand more than weaklings, losing or Team Rocket, it was the thought of losing Kris for good. He slowly finished off his remaining slices and paid the bill. The two teens grabbed their bags and walked out, heading towards Ilex Forest.

Silver had a real appreciation of the outdoors. Most of his life was spent alone without much interactions from humans or pokemon. He had come to learn that mother nature was strong, unprejudiced and unforgiving. Nature played no favourites at all. Flowers bloomed and died, trees sprouted and grew strong, leaves would grow and fall off and snow would cover the world in a cold embrace. Natural disasters would sometimes happen, which often resulted in deaths. Silver believed they died because they were weak and Mother Nature preserved the strong by wiping away the weak.

Having Kris outside with him made him feel free and happy.

Silver was not often happy.

He reached down and took Kris's hand as they walked deeper into the forest. The sun gave only a little light now and they had just enough time to find a spot behind the forest shrine for their camp out. Kris started to set up the sleeping bags and Silver got his Sneasel to cut up a few branches and logs for fire wood. The sound of Hoothoots' calls began to fill the air as the sun faded and the stars began to dot the sky. Kris commanded her Arcanine to start a fire and they had a small campfire going in less than a minute.

"Silver?"

"Hm?"

Kris sat in her sleeping bag and looked up at him. "I was thinking about moving out soon and getting a place somewhere...maybe in Blackthorn City or Ecruteak City. I have the money to do it, you know...I still get benefits as a Champion."

"And?" Silver questioned, getting into his own sleeping bag beside her.

"Well...I was wondering if you wanted to come with me," Kris said. She smiled and added, "Think about it...we're eighteen now. There's no reason not to try and live together. We could have a normal life for as long as we last."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Silver demanded. "As long as we last?"

Kris turned pink. "W-well...I just mean...if something happens to us...if we find someone else or decide to break up for whatever reason..." she stammered. Silver reached over and grabbed her hand.

"Kris. I know I'm not an emotional person. I can be a cold hard bastard. But if there's one thing I refuse to give up, it's this relationship with you. You're my hope to lead a normal life."

Kris's heart began to beat faster. That look in Silver's eyes was something she hadn't seen before. He looked serious but he also looked...afraid.

"Don't talk about a break up, Kris. Please...just don't."

"Alright..." Kris agreed. "I'm sorry. Mom's always telling me that teenagers don't always stay together and I have to give some thought to the what if situation...I didn't mean to worry you," she added. "She drives me nuts with her advice sometimes, but it still gets to me."

Silver snorted. "Your mom still worries about you being with a hardass like me. That's why. And you want to live with me?"

"Of course!"

Silver couldn't help but smirk. "You do know that means we'll always be alone? No one will bother us?"

"I'm a teenager too, you know," Kris said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a prude. Now answer the stupid question."

Silver paused to consider it. Up until now, he was living in a boarding house in Goldenrod City and he hated it. It was crowded, loud and filled with stupid people. He wanted nothing more than to get out and Kris was offering a way. Even better, it was to live with her. Silver realized this was more than just a way out of the boarding house, it was an even bigger chance to live a normal life.

"Yes. I'd like to live with you, Kris," he finally said.

Kris smiled and practically pounced on him. Or she would have, if it weren't for her sleeping bag getting in the way.

"Here, I have an idea." Silver unzipped his sleeping bag and also unzipped hers. Then he took both of them and zipped them together to make one big sleeping bag that could fit both of them inside. Kris quickly got in and cuddled up beside Silver happily.

What happened next was something as natural as the trees and plants around them.

* * *

**FINALLY, IT'S DONE.**

**Holy crap, I have been suffering from a BAD case of writer's block this past month. -slams head- I WANT THIS DONE, DAMNIT.**

**Oh and Happy Valentine's Day. I guess this can be considered my own little love day tribute?**

**The part about Kris's mom telling her to give thought to the what if situation was inspired by my own annoying mother. She's always telling me to give the benefit of the doubt with my own relationship with Regiinator and it's ANNOYING.**


	53. Smile: BrockxSabrina

**Theme: **14. Smile  
**Pairing: **BrockxSabrina (MangaShipping)  
**Summary: **_Smile. People will wonder what you're up to.  
_**Rating: **K  
**Requested by: **Captain Black Night. Sorry it took so long!

**AN: **Actually, the name MangaShipping comes from the implied hints that Brock and Sabrina like each other in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga. I'm only using the name for a lack of another one, but this is set in the games.

* * *

Everyone knew who Sabrina was. She was the Saffron City Gym Leader and often called a cool customer. Her demeanor often made people think she was cold and uncaring. Even her gym trainers had to admit she didn't smile much.

But no one knew she had a secret side. When she was with the Pewter City Gym Leader, she was a different person. Brock could bring out the most unlikely reactions from Sabrina. It was unexplainable why. Sabrina had many trainers trying to impress her, especially men with rather lustful eyes. She was beautiful and strong. Why would she prefer Brock's company to them?

No one dared to ask her. No one wanted to risk her wrath whenever Brock wasn't around. It was as if she was two different people; a serious and somewhat frightful person and a calm and relaxed person. The latter only happened in the presence of the Pewter Gym Leader.

Their relationship was simple enough. Brock had complimented Sabrina's beauty. Instead of brushing it off or sneering, she actually felt flattered. It was the first time she had ever smiled.

From there, it was simply a matter of time before Sabrina had warmed up to Brock's company. They had ventured through Mt. Moon together and Brock had given her a Moon Stone as a souvenir. The dark and shining allure of the stone intrigued Sabrina and she had it made into a pendent she wore around her neck.

Eventually, she began to tell Brock more about the secret side she had. Her past was lonely and empty. Her psychic powers isolated her from other children who treated her as a freak and her parents were always too busy to play with her. From a young age, she developed a lonely personality and kept to herself. Brock was the first person to break through that.

Channeler Stacy, who Sabrina considered a friend, asked her why she was so close to Brock. Sabrina thought for a moment and smiled before answering, "He gave me a reason to be happy. Even psychic powers don't compare to his company."

_In the midst of the most painful faces  
angels show up in the strangest of places._

~Looking For Angels by Skillet

* * *

**Okay, I admit it. This isn't that great. **

**Severe writer's block. Majorly. And I've been massively addicted to creepypasta. I'll try and get the last two up ASAP. (LOVE, WE NEED TO WRITE THAT YOU-KNOW-WHAT.)**

**Up next are Hold My Hand and Relaxation. Both are RedxYellow!**


	54. Hold my Hand: RedxYellow

**Theme: **35. Hold My Hand  
**Pairing: **RedxYellow (SpecialShipping)  
**Summary: **_Just say your heart beats faster when you see me near. And when you hold my hand, all your fear disappears!  
_**Rating: **K for more kuteness! :D

* * *

Red had never felt more nervous before in his entire life. Asking Yellow to marry him was hard but now to go through with it...his breakfast was rolling in his stomach.

Of course, he reminded himself, it was his idea for a big ceremony in front of all their friends and family. He wanted to treat Yellow to a real 'day as a queen' thing. All the dex holders were here as well, each with their own role in the wedding. Crystal was the matron of honour, Blue, Jasmine, Clair, Platinum, White and SoulSilver were bridesmaids and Daisy was the maid of honour. Red made Green his best man and Gold had thrown his bachelor party (although Red insisted on not having belly dancers show up, please and thank you). Ruby had done much of the dress designing, much to Yellow's delight. Bill, Pearl, Diamond and Emerald were in charge of the entertainment and music. Silver, Black and HeartGold managed catering and Silver also kept chasing Dia away from the food. Ruby and Sapphire also served as the flower girl and ring bearer (at Sapphire's insistence, who said if she had to wear a dress, she reserved the right to throw flower petals on people and Ruby was her escort). Red really owed his friends big time for this.

The battler adjusted his red bowtie and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He grimaced and swallowed, noting how pale he looked.

"Hey Red. You ready?" Green asked, coming into the room. "It's almost time."

"Almost..."

"Man, you look pale. What are you so nervous about?" Green asked.

"Everything! All those eyes on me and Yellow, the vow exchanging, the..." Red nearly choked and Green snickered.

"Dude, you're acting like a teenager again. Do I have to remind you that you were the one who insisted on a huge ceremony? I believe Yellow was fine with a small ceremony without all of us. It's too late to cancel it and you know how heartbroken Yellow would be if you did."

"I know, I know..." Red took a deep breath again. "I guess the whole marriage thing is just finally getting to me. I've always loved Yellow and I knew I wanted to spend my life with her...but it feels like it's finally hitting me now that we really will be spending our lives together and you guys are witnesses."

"How do you think Gold felt?" Green asked, raising an eyebrow. "He married Crys last year. Silver wouldn't stop laughing at how much of a wreck that moron was. If Gold can do it, you can as well."

Red nodded and took one last look at himself. Then he grinned. "I look pretty damn good, don't I?"

"Ask Yellow," Green said, rolling his eyes. "Now move your ass downstairs. It's time to say good bye to manhood."

"Huh, I thought it was time to say hello to manhood," Red snapped.

"Sure. You're getting married, Red. You'll be whipped in no time."

"Yeah, right. Yellow, a whipper? Hardly. I think I'll be just fine," Red retorted. He marched past Green and went down to the ceremony area to wait for Yellow.

The ceremony would proceed like this: Red would await Yellow below the steps and she would be escorted by her uncle Wilton, who was in charge of 'giving her away'. Her bridesmaids and their escorts will be behind her and the pianist will be playing 'Here Comes The Bride'. After the exchanging of the vows and the rings, Yellow will toss her bouquet out for the girls to try and catch and they would head to the wedding reception (which was in the Viridian Gym, courtesy of Green) and have a party. After the party, Red and Yellow would take a limo to the airport and board a plane for Lake Valor in Sinnoh for their honeymoon.

While he waited for Yellow, Red glanced around furtively at the crowd. There were the Kanto and Johto gym leaders here as well as family members. His mother and father were here and so were Yellow's grandparents. Professor Oak and Professor Elm were also here, of course. Even crazy old Brinca had shown up from Two Island to give her wishes for peace to Red and Yellow. He couldn't have asked for a better crowd.

_"So many people have come into our lives..." _Red thought. _"And I'm grateful for every one of them."_

The pianist began to play the opening notes to Here Comes The Bride and Red turned around. The drapes moved away to reveal Yellow on her uncle's arm and Red's eyes widened. Ruby had done a stunning job on her dress. To say she looked like an angel was almost an understatement. Yellow's hair was drawn back in its trademark ponytail and, in addition to the veil surrounding her, she wore a crown of yellow roses on her head. Her dress was high rise, like a turtleneck, but it was completely sleeveless. The skirt of the dress flowed around her in a way that wasn't too draggy, giving Red the image of Yellow floating on a cloud. The bodice of her dress was decorated with pearls and each edge of the dress was touched with lace. Lastly, she carried a bouquet of roses, some red, some yellow and some blue.

_"I have to give credit to Ruby...he really knew what he was doing when he designed this for Yellow."_

They began to walk down the aisle slowly, with the bridesmaids and their escorts following them and Red could feel a smile creep over his face. His nervousness started to fade away as Wilton and Yellow got closer to him. As soon as they arrived beside Red, he bowed in front of Wilton before accepting Yellow's arm. Wilton bowed back and 'passed' Yellow to Red. Yellow smiled happily at Red and slipped her hand into his as they continued the walk.

_"Yes...just hold my hand, Yellow. It's our day."_

When they got to the alter, the priest nodded and began to recite from his bible. As his words reverberated off the walls, Red and Yellow glanced at each other again and smiled. There was no turning back now.

"Yellow, do you take Red to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, for richer or poorer and in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Yellow said.

"And do you, Red, take Yellow to be your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold, for richer or poorer and in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Red said with a nod.

"The rings, please," the priest said, nodding at Ruby, who approached with both rings. Red and Yellow took each other's rings and slipped them over the other's fingers.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

_"Here goes nothing," _Red thought. This was something he was nervous about back up in his private room with Green, but as he took Yellow into his arms, he couldn't think of anything else but her. Everyone else in the room seemed to vanish as he pressed his lips to Yellow's to seal their vows.

A loud cheer erupted from the guests. Red and Yellow pulled away in delight and they hurried out to where the limousine was waiting to take them to their reception.

Neither of them let go of each other's hand the entire time.

* * *

**Bah. This was suppose to be another epic theme, but Regii and I kept putting off co-writing this together that I finally decided just to do it myself. I don't think it came out terrible, but I know it could have been better. I just wish I could have written it with MY husband to be. -grumble grumble- But I must respect that Pokemon Black has his attention for now. I'll repay the favour when I get my White from him. -snicker-**


	55. Relaxation: RedxYellow

**Theme: **100. Relaxation  
**Pairing: **RedxYellow  
**Summary: **_Let your worries go. Now breathe, release and just go with your emotions' flow.  
_**Rating: **K

**AN: OH FINALLY!** Welcome to the last theme!

Man, it's been a long time since I began these. I'm very happy to finally see this finished. Finally, I can move on to other projects and feel a little less stressed. Thank you all for sticking with me! I LOVE YOU ALL.

* * *

It had been six months since Red and Gold went up Mt. Silver to train their pokemon and hone their skills as battlers. But both boys had finally reached a limit. Gold was getting fed up of the constant fights and Red, although quite patient, wasn't sure if he could put up with Gold's moaning anymore. He began to complain about everything, from the cave they lived in to the lack of anything fun to do and even their inability to order a pizza. He even complained about not having any pretty girls to flirt with and Red mentally wished Crys was there to scold him and tell him not to be such a baby.

Finally, Red finally agreed they needed a break. Gold needed to get off the mountain and see both his mom and Crys again and Red needed to get away from Gold. He returned to Pallet Town and was happy to be greeted by the sight of home. His mom welcomed him back with warm hugs and the best tasting meal Red had in a long time.

"By the way, hun, a girl named Yellow has been calling here a lot," his mother said. "She's been looking for you."

"Hm? Oh, Yellow," Red said with his mouth full of bread. He swallowed and wiped the crumbs off his chin. "I'll give her a call soon."

"Who is she, Red?" his mother asked with a teasing smile.

"Mom!"

"Just asking."

Red looked down. "She...actually, she's one of the nicest girls I've ever met. She's a little short but she's really brave. And just between you and me, Mom, she actually saved my life."

"What?"

_"Crud, I probably shouldn't have said that," _Red thought. Now he had to tell his mother how he had been tricked by the Elite Four and frozen on Mt. Moon by Lorelei and the huge battle at Cerise Island that Yellow brought a stop to. His mother sat at the table with her mouth opened and her face looking very white. When Red finished his story, his mother let out a sigh of relief.

"I think we owe this girl a lot more than a phone call, Red...if it weren't for her, you might have suffered something a lot worse than frostbite."

"I know," Red replied.

"You might as well return her call anyway. See what she wants and see if there's something I can do to thank her. Perhaps we should invite her over for dinner one night."

"Good idea. I'll go call her now," Red said. He pushed his plate away and got up from the table. Pika smiled upon hearing Red was going to call the blond girl he got along with...and Chuchu too! Red grabbed his PokeGear and dialed Yellow's house number.

"Hello?" Yellow's timid voice came on the line.

"Hi, Yellow! It's Red!"

"Red!" Yellow's tone changed to overjoyed. "I'm so glad you're finally home! I've wanted to see you for a long time now!"

Red grinned sheepishly. It was nice to hear someone, other than his mom, was waiting for him. "I'm pretty glad to be home, actually. Hey, my mom said you've been calling here a lot. Is there a reason for that?"

Yellow hesitated before answering, "I just wasn't sure if you were back from Mt. Silver yet...I hope I didn't annoy your mom."

"Nah," Red replied. "But she was curious about you. Actually, I told her all about how you saved my life, Yellow. Now she wants to thank you by asking you over for dinner one night."

"Really? That sounds nice, but I don't want to impose..."

"It's not imposing, it's an invitation!" Red laughed. "Now that I'm back from Mt. Silver, I'm ready to relax and eat my mom's awesome cooking."

"That sounds nice," Yellow agreed. "Could we spend the day together? It's been a little lonely here in Viridian City, since Green keeps leaving his gym alone. Blue's too busy looking for her parents and I don't want to bother her."

"Sure," Red answered. "Might as well make most of our time together before I have to go back up the mountain and train Gold."

"Great! I'll come over soon!"

"See you then," Red said and hung up the phone. His mother smiled at how happy Red looked and Pika snickered.

"By the way, Red, I decided to do some cleaning up and I noticed a lot of your old things were still lying around. I've put them all in a box in the living room for you to sort out what you want and what you don't want anymore. Make sure to go through it before you head out again, alright?"

"Sure, Mom," Red said and relaxed on the couch. Pika jumped on his stomach and curled up happily.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Red's mother answered the door and smiled at the sight of the small blond girl with a Pikachu on her shoulder.

"Hello, dear. You must be Yellow. Come on inside," she said and moved aside for Yellow to enter.

"Thank you," Yellow said softly. Chuchu giggled and soon cheered when she saw Pika poke his head up above the couch.

_"Pikachu! Pika pika!" _

"Pika, knock it off!" Red's annoyed voice snapped.

"Red, Yellow's here," his mother said. Red's eyes flipped open and he jumped up from the couch. Yellow's eyes lit up at the sight of him and she moved forward and gave him a huge hug before he even had a chance to get off the couch. Red's mother uttered a small giggle and she winked at Red before vanishing into the next room.

"It's so good to see you again, Red!" Yellow chirped. Her eyes fell on the box on the living room floor and she wandered over to it. "What's this?"

"Oh...just some stuff my mom wants me to sort out. Nothing really-" Red paused as Yellow picked out an old VHS tape of some cartoons from the box.

"Oh gosh, I remember this cartoon! I loved it so much as a kid!" Yellow said with excitement. Red looked at the title and a wave of nostalgia washed over him as he recalled the cartoons he used to watch. The one Yellow was holding was a stick figure cartoon called _Stickin' Around._ "You're not going to get rid of this, are you? If you are, I'll take it! I still have a VCR and I love watching old tapes!"

"Actually, I haven't decided," Red chuckled. "I can't remember much of those cartoons or what's on that tape. All I know is I loved them too."

Yellow got up and looked at the living room's entertainment system. She noticed an old VCR sitting on the shelf and smiled. "How about we watch it and refresh both our memories?"

"Hmm...actually, that sounds like a good idea," Red replied. Somewhere inside of him, the child that didn't die grinned and he felt like reliving it. "I'll go make popcorn then!"

Yellow giggled. "That sounds good! I'll see if I can figure this out."

Ten minutes later, they were both sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn between them and their Pikachus on the armchair beside them. Soon they were both laughing and reciting lines from the cartoon and the Pikachus stared at them weirdly.

"For your big fat information, this is our imagination! Me and my friend Reddie! What we draw is what you see!" Yellow sang.

"Real mature, Yellow," Red teased playfully. "I don't know how to draw," he added.

"I can teach you," Yellow said. "Some people think it's very hard, but they don't know everyone has artistic talent. Here!" Yellow pulled her sketchpad out from her bag and flipped it to a blank page. "Watch me try to sketch out Pika and Chuchu there."

"Alright..." Red said and watched Yellow's fingers move the pencil with precision across the paper. Soon the forms of Pika and Chuchu started to appear on the paper. She even mirrored their expressions and Chuchu's little flower. It took her fifteen minutes to sketch them out and she showed it to Red.

"How's this?"

"You're a really good artist, Yellow," Red admitted. "I don't know if I'm that good."

"Aw, don't be so negative, Red! If all else fails, you can always draw stick figures, like in the cartoon," Yellow giggled.

"Nah. I'll leave the drawing to you."

"Okay," Yellow chirped. "Well now that the video's over, what should we do next?"

"How about fishing?" Red suggested. "My dad's got a fishing pole around here somewhere I can use. And you have your own, right?"

"Yup!" Yellow pointed to her bag, which had the folding fishing pole in it. "Is there a fishing place around here?"

"South of the town is route 21. That's where I met Poli," Red informed her. "It's a water route."

Yellow beamed. Red went to ask his mom where the fishing pole was and they were soon on their way out. The sun beat down warmly on them and Yellow decided to put on her old straw hat.

"You still have that old thing?"

"It's right here, isn't it?" was her answer. "I don't see myself getting rid of it, Red. It's got too many memories attached to it. I only have to look at it to remember the days I was working to rescue you with Green and Blue and also when we went to Ilex Forest." She suddenly laughed. "It was this hat that hid the fact I'm a girl from you, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." Red laughed sheepishly. "Boy did I feel stupid when you showed your ponytail that day Gold got suck in the shrine."

"It wasn't your fault. Blue made me hide my true gender. She said I couldn't use any feminine charms to gain an advantage and that I would probably be taken advantage of while I was trying to save you. I was only eleven at the time, so I believed her," Yellow said. They walked over to the fishing spot while still talking. "For a long time, I thought I would have to accept being a boy in front of you, until Gold made me take off my hat. I actually felt ashamed."

Red frowned. "But that wasn't your fault either, Yellow. You didn't have to be ashamed for what you did. I think it was all Blue's idea of a good joke."

"Still...you thought I was a boy the entire time. It must have been shocking to realize I was a girl," Yellow pointed out.

"Okay, just a little," Red admitted. They sat down on the shoreline and cast their lines out. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. What matters now is that you're a girl and I know the truth and we're still friends."

"Yeah!" Yellow smiled brightly at Red. Her rod began to tug and she quickly started to reel it in. "Whoa! I think I got something big!"

"Careful!" Red cautioned her. He watched her closely as she continued to reel in her line. She gave one last tug and pulled in a big Seaking. "Whoa! It's massive!"

"I know!" Yellow went over and gently pulled the line out from the Seaking's mouth. "Here you go, my friend...be free and happy!" The Seaking splashed around a bit before heading back out to the water.

"You don't try to catch them?" Red asked.

"Nah. I prefer fishing as a sport, not as a way of hunting," Yellow replied. "It's more relaxing this way and I don't care for completing the pokedex as much as you or Green or Crys do."

"I see..." Red's line started to tug and he quickly jerked his attention back to the water. "Hey, I got something!"

"Reel it in gently, Red!" Yellow urged. "You don't want to snap the line!"

Red tried but he was getting impatient and he decided to try tugging the line instead. The line suddenly stopped moving and both teens cringed.

"Uh oh...I hope the line didn't break," Red muttered.

"Better reel it in and see," Yellow said gently. Red did so and they were both astonished to see the hook still on the end.

"You mean it just got away?" Red said in shock. Yellow started to laugh, quietly at first, and then it got louder. "Man, I SUCK at this!"

"So why did you suggest it?" Yellow asked. Red mumbled something and the healer scrunched up her nose in confusion. "I didn't catch that, Red. Could you talk louder?"

"I knew it was something you do so I figured I could try it too," was the reply. "But I suck!"

"Aw, Red. Don't worry! It's only a sport! At least the line isn't snapped and you almost had it as well! Let's try again," Yellow said encouragingly. With her help, Red managed to get another bite on his line and reel it in all the way without snapping the line or losing the bite. The pokemon was just a Horsea but its cuteness was enough to make Yellow squeal with delight and Red feel like it was worth it. Under Yellow's guidance, they continued to fish, catching some pokemon and nearly snapping their lines. By late afternoon, both teens were tired, hungry but very content. They decided to head back to Red's and see what was for dinner.

The more time Red spent with Yellow, the more relaxed he felt. Training or working with Gold didn't cross his mind at all when he was with the healer. He felt carefree and happy with her and it wasn't because of their activities.

It was because it was Yellow.

Red concluded he had to take breaks more often and spend time with Yellow. He could really get used to it.

* * *

**...**

**O-Oh...my...gosh...IT'S FINISHED.**

**HOLY HELL.**

**I DID IT! ONE HUNDRED THEMES FINALLY DONE! BWAAAA! -sobs-**

**Christ, nearly two years of working on this damn project. I'm glad to FINALLY put it away. Finally, it's time to move on to better things. **

**However, I owe some words of thanks to a few people. Like the good little egotistical authoress I am, I shall now credit those who deserve it.**

_**~Regii. **_**Of course. Without your help, love, this project would have NEVER gotten done. You helped me write chapter 26 and you gave me so many ideas for other themes that I can't even list them all. Not to mention you helped encourage me to get it done and saved my sanity when I nearly lost it a few times AND even continuing my gijinka story on your own! Holy hell, I have so many things to thank you for. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BABES. ILU**

_**~Lady Midnight **_**for being my best friend and for also helping to maintain sanity by dragging me through insane Megaman situations. XD ILU BESTIE.**

_**~IkariShippingFreak, **_**who has now become the little sister I wish I had. It was this story we managed to meet and bring it to DA as well. Your encouraging words have always been a brilliant spark for me, sweetie. ILU SIS.**

_**~Everyone who read, reviewed and requested something here. **_**There's too many of you and some of you don't have accounts and are reading this anonymously. :3 Thank you all for checking out my work! I really hope it was enjoyable for you! ILU ALL AS WELL.**

**Well, now that this is finally done, I can focus on new things. I'm currently writing that Pokemon XD novelization I mentioned a few times and I'm looking forward to publishing it on here soon. There's also creepypasta, and I'm even the owner of a creepypasta group on DA! O: **

**Now how should I end this? I think I'll take a cue from my boyfriend and bounce out a window. STARGOCRAZYNOWKTHXBAI.**

**-bounces off to make food-**


End file.
